Lithuanians living abroad to have single-member constituency during next election

Lithuanians living abroad will have a separate election constituency during the upcoming general election next year after the country's Central Electoral Commission made a unanimous decision on Tuesday to establish single-member constituency for Lithuanians living abroad.

CEC chair Laura Matjosaityte says this decision means 70 single-member constituencies will be in Lithuania, instead of the previous 71.

The CEC made the decision to establish a separate constituency for Lithuanians living abroad after taking into consideration their active participation in the recent EP and presidential election.

In August, the Seimas of Lithuania created conditions for the establishment of a special single-member constituency for Lithuanian citizens voting abroad during general elections, if during the latest election at Lithuanian embassies and consular establishments, the number of voters exceeds 0.9 percent of the average number of voters in all single-member constituencies.

Currently, Lithuanian citizens voting abroad are put on the electoral roll of the Naujamiestis area of Vilnius and do not have a separate constituency for the Seimas' election.