Riigikogu election week begins with online, early voting in Estonia
Election week in the 2023 Riigikogu elections has begun in Estonia, with online voting starting at 9 a.m. and polling places across the country opening for advance or early voting at noon on Monday, February 27. Election Day is this Sunday, March 5.
Local governments' and Tallinn city districts' central polling places will open to voters at noon Monday; all 405 polling places across the country will be open beginning Friday.
Advance voting at Estonia's foreign representations has already concluded.
Online voting began at 9 a.m. on Monday and will continue 24 hours a day through 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 4.
In order to vote online, voters must install the voter application available at valimised.ee on their secure computer with an internet connection. They will also need an Estonian ID card and card-reader or mobile ID.
Smart-ID cannot be used for authentication purposes in the 2023 elections. Voters likewise cannot cast their ballot electronically via smart device alone.
Should a voter feel their opportunity to vote online securely was compromised, they may change their vote electronically at any time through Saturday evening by simply voting online again; only the latest online vote will be counted. If a voter has voted both online and by paper ballot, only the vote cast by paper ballot will count.
Since 2021, voters can also override their online vote by casting a paper ballot in person at their registered polling place on Election Day on Sunday.
Click here for more information regarding online voting in Estonia.
Paper ballots in electoral district only from Friday
From Monday through Thursday, voters can vote early between noon and 8 p.m. at polling places located in local government and Tallinn city district centers.
Each center will have at least one polling place set up where all registered voters can vote, regardless of their registered place of residence.
From Friday through Sunday, all 405 polling places across the country will be open, during which time voters can cast their ballots in person at any polling place located within their registered electoral district.
Estonia is divided into 12 electoral districts for the Riigikogu elections.
A total of 968 candidates — on nine political party lists plus ten independent candidates — are running in the 2023 Riigikogu elections, in which all of the Estonian parliament's 101 seats are up for election
MPs are elected to the Riigikogu for a four-year term.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
