The right to vote
- E-services
- Electronic voter card
Estonian citizens have the right to state and legal protection and the obligation to be loyal to the Constitution and to take part in national defence. Citizens who have reached the age of 18 as of Election Day may vote in elections of the Riigikogu, local elections and referendum.
Foreign nationals who are at least 18 years of age and reside in Estonia on the basis of permanent residence permit or permanent right of residence also have the right to vote at local elections. EU citizens who are at least 18 years old have the right to vote in European Parliament elections and local elections when they have registered their place of residence in the local government. They are automatically put on the electoral roll.
The right to set up a list of candidates is granted to political parties registered in Estonia, and to citizens’ election coalitions at local government council elections.
How are elections organized
- Local elections take place every 4 years.
- Riigikogu elections take place every 4 years.
- European Parliament elections take place every 5 years.
When organising the voting, electoral districts are divided into voting districts. In order to be entered in the list of voters, the address details of the residence of a person must have been entered in the population register first. Before the elections, a voter will receive their voter’s card by mail to their registered address of residence.
You can order an electronic voter’s card to your e-mail address via the State Portal.
Advance voting is possible outside one’s voting district of residence. It is also possible to vote electronically. On the election day, a voter can vote only in the voting district of their residence.
After the elections voting results are determined, a complaint can be submitted to the county electoral committee or the National Electoral Committee to review.
Important information about elections (candidates, polling stations, election results, statistics etc) can you find at the home page of elections.
