Lääneranna Municipality seeks referendum to join a different county
Lääneranna Municipality has asked Estonia's election service whether it can hold a public poll on joining Lääne County alongside the next local elections.
Lääneranna Municipality has asked Estonia's State Electoral Office whether it can hold a public poll on joining Lääne County alongside the 2029 local elections. The municipality currently belongs to Pärnu County.
Electoral service head Arne Koitmäe said the law does not rule out holding the two votes at the same time. Because they operate under different legal rules, however, the municipality would have to keep them clearly separate for participants and organizers. Election data, systems and equipment could not be used for the poll and its costs could not be counted as election expenses.
Koitmäe advised the municipality to assess whether it has enough staff and space and whether holding the poll during the elections would offer a practical advantage. "If there is no such advantage, it may make more sense to hold the poll at another time," he said.
The proposal follows a citizens' initiative launched this spring on the Rahvaalgatus.ee platform calling for an official poll on which county residents prefer. Its author, Kristjan Korsten, said Lääneranna's territory has stronger historical ties to Lääne County. He cited an informal Facebook poll of more than 300 people in which about 70 percent favored joining Lääne County.
The initiative fell short of the required support. Of 74 signatures collected, only 41 were from eligible residents, while at least 44 were needed to reach 1 percent of the municipality's 4,311 eligible residents as of June 1. The municipal council nevertheless discussed the idea in August and favored holding any poll alongside the local elections.
Mayor Tarvi Sits said there was no need to rush, but the question remained open. "There are passionate supporters of joining Lääne County and passionate supporters of remaining in Pärnu County," he said. He estimated that the poll would cost about €10,000. Its result would not bind the council, but the council could vote to support a county change and send that decision to the national government.
Lääneranna was formed in 2017 from Hanila and Lihula, formerly in Lääne County, and Koonga and Varbla, formerly in Pärnu County. The merged municipality became part of Pärnu County. At 1,352 square kilometers, it is one of Estonia's largest municipalities, comprising Lihula, Virtsu and 150 villages.
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Editor: Marko Tooming, Marcus Turovski
