Lecturer Urbonaitė: Conservatives Failed to Get Out the Vote - MRU
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24 October, 2016
Lecturer Urbonaitė: Conservatives Failed to Get Out the Vote

MRU Political Science Institute Lecturer Rima Urbonaitė, discussing the Oct. 23rd, 2016 Seimas elections with online portal LRT.lt, said turn-out was a key factor. Conservatives failed to get the vote out resulting in 31 seats compared to the winning party, the Lithuanian Peasants & Green Party (LVŽS) with 56 seats, according to preliminary results. In addition, Lithuanian Peasants & Green Party Leader R. Karbauskis was underestimated in his success in bringing voters out to the booth, she said. "The voter, which came, if they didn't vote for the Conservatives, they voted for the LVŽS," noted Lecturer Urbonaitė. Conservatives have one problem - they have a very loyal voter, but they can not attract new voters. Those that don't vote for them, intensely dislike them, she explained. That's why we have the type of situation that we have. I think that Conservatives, who did rather well in the 1st round of voting, lost in the 2nd because they were not able to make decisions and bring out the vote, she said. In addition, many voters wanted something new and this had an effect. "Voters decided to surprise us and to go against the system," Urbonaitė told LRT.lt.