RIGA, June 5 (LETA) - 5,843 voters or 0.61 percent of eligible voters cast their votes in the first hour after polling stations opened for the local government elections this morning, according to the Central Election Commission's data.

The highest activity in the first hour of the elections was in Latgale, where 0.65 percent of eligible voters or 1,149 residents voted this morning.

At the same time, in Vidzeme, 0.63 percent or 2,487 eligible voters voted in the first hour of election day, while in Zemgale - 0.56 percent or 1,181 eligible voters, but in Kurzeme 0.56 percent or 1,026 eligible voters.

Meanwhile, Central Election Commission representative Laura Zaharova told LETA that all 755 polling station opened throughout the country this morning without any major problems to report.

As reported, Latvians go to the polls for the local government elections today.

Voting stations opened throughout the country at 7:00 a.m. this morning, and will close at 8:00 p.m.

In all, 964,339 Latvian residents are eligible to vote in the local government elections.

This year, local elections in Latvia are taking place in 40 municipalities - six cities and 34 regions. The newly created South Kurzeme region, for instance, is one constituency and voters in this region can cast their ballots at any polling station within its territory.

There will be no elections in Riga this year because the capital city's council was already elected last year. Also, local elections have been put off in the regions of Rezekne county after the Supreme Court invalidated the Varaklani region's merger with the Rezekne region.