European Parliament elections begin

RIGA- Already ahead of the June 6 European parliamentary elections,approximately 10 percent of citizens across the globe have already voted. Leadingthe pack of the 39 absentee voting nations are the UnitedState and Australia according to the LatvianCentral Election Commission.

Beyond the big diaspora community voting from the U.S., Australia and U.K, over one hundred ballots came from Belgium,and Canada, as well as 72from Afghanistan. 

Lithuaniaon the other hand has witnessed a low turnout for the elections. As reported, 265Lithuanian candidates from 15 parties are competing for 12 seats in theEuropean Parliament.

President-elect Dalia Grybauskaite urged voters to go to thepolls as the elections are important for Lithuania.

"Advance voting shows that the turnout of voters is nothigh so far. I encourage Lithuanian people not to give in to indifference andto chose such MEPs who will manage to protect first of all Lithuania'sinterests best in solving matters important to the entire EU," saidGrybauskaite.

With an average voter turnout thus far, Estonia, in an effort to boost ease andconvenience of voting, has enacted their famed online voting, the only nationin Europe with such an option.