In Lithuania, voting continues in the pre-election of the president, in the citizenship referendum

Early voting began on Tuesday and will end on Thursday.

According to the preliminary data of the Central Election Commission (CEC), 40.6 thousand people declared their will on the first day of voting. or 1.7 percent voters.

Eight politicians are competing for the presidency.

The current president, non-partisan Gitanas Nausėda, is seeking a second term. The ruling Fatherland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats nominate Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė as the candidate for president, the Freedom Party belonging to the ruling coalition – the dean of the Faculty of Law of Vytautas Magnus University Dainiai Žalima, the opposition Labor Party – its leader, MP Andrii Mazuronis, another opposition political force, the Union of Democrats “Vardan of Lithuania”, raises former Deputy Minister of National Defense Giedrim Jeglinskas.

Lawyer Ignas Vēgėlė, doctor Eduardas Vaitkus and leader of the party “Nemunos ausra” Remigijus Žemaitaitis nominated themselves. The latter was found by the Constitutional Court to have broken his oath and violated the Constitution due to his anti-Semitic statements, as a result of which the politician renounced his mandate as a member of the Seimas.

Along with the presidential elections in Lithuania, a mandatory referendum on the legalization of dual citizenship is taking place.

It is proposed to change the Constitution by deleting from it the sentence that now prevents Lithuanian citizens from acquiring a second citizenship – that “except in separate cases provided for by law, no one can be a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania and another state at the same time”.

It will be necessary to express an opinion on the amended wording of the Constitution: “Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania is acquired at birth and on other grounds established by law. The procedure for acquiring and losing citizenship is determined by law.”

According to the CEC data, early voting is possible in all 60 municipalities from 7:00 a.m. until 8 p.m.

In most municipalities, early voting places are located in municipal buildings.

In the capital, you can vote in the city municipality building (Konstitucijos pr. 3), Vilnius University Business School (Saulėtekio al. 22), A. Sakharov square near the Press House, Lukiškių square, Vilnius district municipality building (Rinktinės st. 50).

The Vilnius district municipality also installed a polling station in the Nemenčinės cultural center (Švenčionų str. 12, Nemenčinės).

Due to the planned exercises, voting will not be organized in advance in the Kaunas city municipality building on Laisvės avenue. Here, voters will be able to express their will in the building of Vytautas the Great University (28 S. Daukant St.) and in the Kaunas District Municipality building (371 Savanorių Ave.).

In Klaipėda, voting will take place in the Klaipėda City Municipality Building (Liepų St. 11) until election day.

In nine municipalities, voting will take place in advance in non-municipal buildings: Ignalina – Tourism Information Center (Ateities st. 23, Ignalina), Kazlų Rūda – Jurgis Dovydaitis public library (Vytauto st. 21, Kazlų Rūda), Lazdijų – Youth Center premises (Seinų st. 1, Lazdijai), Neringa – in the community house (Taikos St. 17, Nida), Pagėgiai – Culture Center (Jaunimo St. 3, Pagėgiai), Radviliškis – in the former school (Darius ir Girėno St. 27, Radviliškis), Šiauliai District – Education and in the building of the sports department (Karolios Reisono st. 4, Šiauliai), Švenčionios – the city culture center (Vilniaus st. 1, Švenčionys), Utena – in the premises of the Public Health Office (Utenio a.7, Utena).

From Wednesday to Friday, voting is also organized in hospitals, social care and welfare institutions, military units and places of execution of sentences.

On May 10-11, members of the election commissions will organize voting in the houses of voters. Voters with disabilities, people who care for them at home, people unable to work due to illness and voters aged 70 and over can vote at home.

The presidential election and the referendum on the legalization of dual citizenship will be held on Sunday, May 12. Then it will be possible to vote in 1895 places throughout Lithuania.