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. Leading the pack of the 39 absentee voting nations are the UnitedState and Australia according to the Latvian Central 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 72 from Afghanistan. 

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

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

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

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