Editing Lithuania (section)

===Political parties and elections===
{{Main|Elections in Lithuania}}
Lithuania was one of the first countries in the world to [[Women's suffrage|grant women a right to vote]] in the elections. Lithuanian women were allowed to vote by the [[Constitution of Lithuania#Interwar constitutions|1918 Constitution of Lithuania]] and used their newly granted right for the first time in 1919. By doing so, Lithuania allowed it earlier than such democratic countries as the [[United States]] (1920), [[France]] (1945), [[Feminism in Greece|Greece]] (1952), [[Switzerland]] (1971).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Baronienė |first1=Daiva |title=Teisę balsuoti Lietuvos moterys gavo vienos pirmųjų pasaulyje |url=https://www.lzinios.lt/Gimtasis-krastas/teise-balsuoti-lietuvos-moterys-gavo-vienos-pirmuju-pasaulyje/287033 |website=Lzinios.lt |access-date=11 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511092317/https://www.lzinios.lt/Gimtasis-krastas/teise-balsuoti-lietuvos-moterys-gavo-vienos-pirmuju-pasaulyje/287033 |archive-date=11 May 2019}}</ref>

Lithuania exhibits a fragmented multi-party system,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tlu.ee/stss/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/stss_nov_2011_saarts.pdf |title=Comparative Party System Analysis in Central and Eastern Europe: the Case of the Baltic States |last1=Saarts |first1=Tõnis |publisher=Studies of Transition States and Societies |access-date=31 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019212154/http://www.tlu.ee/stss/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/stss_nov_2011_saarts.pdf |archive-date=19 October 2016}}</ref> with a number of small parties in which coalition governments are common. Ordinary elections to the [[Seimas]] take place on the second Sunday of October every four years.<ref name="Seimas"/> To be eligible for election, candidates must be at least 21 years old on the election day, not under allegiance to a foreign state and permanently reside in Lithuania.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 April 2022 |title=Lithuanian parliament amends Constitution to allow direct mayoral elections |url=https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/1677980/lithuanian-parliament-amends-constitution-to-allow-direct-mayoral-elections |access-date=7 November 2024 |website=lrt.lt}}</ref> Persons serving or due to serve a sentence imposed by the court 65 days before the election are not eligible. Also, judges, citizens performing military service, and servicemen of professional military service and officials of statutory institutions and establishments may not stand for election.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lietuvos Respublikos Seimo rinkimų įstatymas|url=https://www.e-tar.lt/portal/lt/legalAct/TAR.06267D86738E/lyGURhvddO|website=e-tar.lt|access-date=14 April 2018|archive-date=14 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414234446/https://www.e-tar.lt/portal/lt/legalAct/TAR.06267D86738E/lyGURhvddO|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Social Democratic Party of Lithuania]] won the [[2024 Lithuanian parliamentary election]]s and gained 52 of 141 seats in the parliament.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lithuanian Social Democratic leader hails 'historic' election victory |url=https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2399206/lithuanian-social-democratic-leader-hails-historic-election-victory |access-date=28 October 2024 |work=lrt.lt |date=28 October 2024 |archive-date=11 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241111173825/https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2399206/lithuanian-social-democratic-leader-hails-historic-election-victory |url-status=live}}</ref> In November 2024, [[Gintautas Paluckas]] was confirmed as the prime minister after the Social Democrats reached a coalition agreement with [[Union of Democrats "For Lithuania"]] and [[Dawn of Nemunas]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/gintautas-paluckas-is-new-lithuania-pm/|title=Gintautas Paluckas confirmed as Lithuania's new prime minister|author=<!-- no byline -->|date=24 November 2024}}</ref>

[[File:Re-Establishment of Lithuania commemoration in Seimas (2015).jpg|thumb|Commemoration of the [[Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania]] in the historical [[Seimas Palace|Seimas]] hall where it was originally signed in 1990. The ceremony is attended by the Lithuanian President, Prime Minister, Chairman of the Seimas and other high-ranking officials.]]
The [[President of Lithuania]] is the head of state of the country, elected to a five-year term in a majority vote. Elections take place on the last Sunday no more than two months before the end of current presidential term.<ref name="Constitution">{{cite web |url=http://www3.lrs.lt/home/Konstitucija/Constitution.htm |title=Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania |publisher=The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania |access-date=31 July 2015 |archive-date=17 January 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060117080458/http://www3.lrs.lt/home/Konstitucija/Constitution.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> To be eligible for election, candidates must be at least 40 years old on the election day and reside in Lithuania for at least three years, in addition to satisfying the eligibility criteria for a member of the parliament. Same President may serve for not more than two terms.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lietuvos Respublikos Prezidento rinkimų įstatymas|url=https://www.e-tar.lt/portal/lt/legalAct/TAR.E39827DBDE34/rYdcColjED|website=e-tar.lt|access-date=14 April 2018|archive-date=18 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018201550/https://www.e-tar.lt/portal/lt/legalAct/TAR.E39827DBDE34/rYdcColjED|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Gitanas Nausėda]] was elected as an independent candidate in [[2019 Lithuanian presidential election|2019]] and re-elected in [[2024 Lithuanian presidential election|2024]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 May 2024 |title=Nausėda claims landslide victory in Lithuania's presidential run-off |url=https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2278660/nauseda-claims-landslide-victory-in-lithuania-s-presidential-run-off |access-date=8 November 2024 |website=lrt.lt}}</ref>

Each municipality in Lithuania is governed by a [[municipal council]] and a [[mayor]], who is a member of the municipal council. The number of members, elected on a four-year term, in each municipal council depends on the size of the municipality and varies from 15 (in municipalities with fewer than 5,000 residents) to 51 (in municipalities with more than 500,000 residents). 1,498 municipal council members were elected in 2023. Members of the council, with the exception of the mayor, are elected using proportional representation. Starting with 2015, the mayor is elected directly by the majority of residents of the municipality.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lietuvos Respublikos savivaldybių tarybų rinkimų įstatymas|url=https://www.e-tar.lt/portal/lt/legalAct/TAR.336A4B109EBC/HEexqWkxmV|website=e-tar.lt|access-date=14 April 2018|archive-date=14 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414234518/https://www.e-tar.lt/portal/lt/legalAct/TAR.336A4B109EBC/HEexqWkxmV|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Social Democratic Party of Lithuania]] won the most positions in the 2023 elections (358 municipal council seats and 17 mayors).<ref>{{cite web|title=2023 m. kovo 19 d. savivaldybių tarybų ir merų rinkimai|url=https://www.vrk.lt/savivaldybiu-tarybu-ir-meru-2023/rezultatai?srcUrl=/rinkimai/1304/2/1920/rezultatai/lt/rezultataiSavPartKoalBalsuIrMandSk.html|website=vrk.lt}}</ref>

As of 2024, the number of seats in the [[European Parliament]] allocated to Lithuania was 11.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/infographic/meps-seats/index_en.html |title=Distribution of seats in the European Parliament |publisher=European Parliament}}</ref> Ordinary elections take place on a Sunday on the same day as in other EU countries. The vote is open to all citizens of Lithuania, as well as citizens of other EU countries that permanently reside in Lithuania, who are at least 18 years old on the election day. To be eligible for election, candidates must be at least 21 years old on the election day, a citizen of Lithuania or a citizen of another EU country permanently residing in Lithuania. Candidates are not allowed to stand for election in more than one country. Persons serving or due to serve a sentence imposed by the court 65 days before the election are not eligible. Also, judges, citizens performing military service, and servicemen of professional military service and officials of statutory institutions and establishments may not stand for election.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lietuvos Respublikos rinkimų į Europos Parlamentą įstatymas|url=https://www.e-tar.lt/portal/lt/legalAct/TAR.FE3C428580B8/DOAAhMeuda|website=e-tar.lt|access-date=14 April 2018|archive-date=18 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018201545/https://www.e-tar.lt/portal/lt/legalAct/TAR.FE3C428580B8/DOAAhMeuda|url-status=live}}</ref> Eight political parties gained seats in the [[2024 European Parliament election in Lithuania|2024 elections]].<ref>{{cite web |title=2024 m. birželio 9 d. rinkimai į Europos Parlamentą |url=https://www.vrk.lt/2024-europos-parlamento/rezultatai?srcUrl=/rinkimai/1546/1/2146/rezultatai/lt/rezultataiEpIsrinktiNariai.html |website=vrk.lt}}</ref>