Early elections

1. An early election to the Seimas may be held under a resolution of the Seimas adopted by a majority of at least three fifths of the votes of all the Members of the Seimas; alternatively, an early election may be declared by the President of the Republic in the cases set out in Article 58 of the Constitution. A resolution of the Seimas or a decree of the President of the Republic concerning an early election to the Seimas shall specify the date of the election of the new Seimas. An election to the new Seimas shall be held no later than within three months from the date of the adoption of the decision on an early election to the Seimas.

2. Upon termination of a mandate of a Member of the Seimas elected in the single-member constituency, an early election of the Member of the Seimas must be held within six months at the latest. The election may not be held where the intended date of the early election of a Member of the Seimas falls within the period of less than a year to go before the date of a regular election to the Seimas, calculated under the Constitution.

3. An early presidential election shall be announced under the following circumstances: 1) in the case set out in Article 87 of the Constitution, the new Seimas elected in an early election may announce an early presidential election, given the early election to the Seimas had been announced under the circumstances set out in Article 58(2) of the Constitution. In such a case, the respective resolution of the Seimas shall be adopted within 30 days of the date of the first sitting of the newly elected Seimas by a majority of at least three fifths of the votes of all the Members of the Seimas. The resolution of the Seimas shall also specify the consecutive number and duration of the presidential term of the prospective President. Where an early presidential election is announced within less than three years of the first presidential term of office, the President of the Republic may be elected only for the remainder of the first term of office and this period shall not be considered to be the second presidential term of office. Where an early
presidential election is announced during the second presidential term of office, the incumbent President of the Republic may be elected only for the remainder of the second term of office. Should this be the case, the re-elected President of the Republic shall be deemed to have been elected for a second presidential term of office, provided more than three years have passed since the regular election in which that President was elected to the first presidential term of office; 2) under the circumstances set out in Article 89 of the Constitution, the Seimas must announce an early presidential election within ten days at the latest. The election must be held within two months at the latest. The resolution of the Seimas on the announcement of the early presidential election shall specify the date of the presidential election. Where the Seimas is unable to convene and announce a presidential election, the Government of the Republic of Lithuania shall announce the election. The resolution of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the announcement of an early presidential election shall specify the date of presidential election.

4. Where the powers of a municipal council have been terminated under the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on Direct Rule on the Municipal Territory, an early local election shall be held after the expiry of temporary direct rule on the territory of that municipality.

5. An early mayoral election shall be held upon premature termination of the mayoral term of office. It must be held within six months at the latest. An early mayoral election shall not be held where the intended date of the early mayoral election leaves less than a year before the date of holding the regular local and a regular mayoral election, calculated in line with the Constitution.

6. The Seimas shall set the date of an early election of a Member of the Seimas elected in the single-member constituency and the date of an early mayoral election no later than within 30 days from the date on which the grounds for holding such elections have arisen.