The remaining 70 seats were allocated to the participating political parties using the largest remainder method, with a 5% threshold to enter the parliament.

[5] Before the elections, five parties were expected to win representation in the Seimas based on the opinion polls: opposition Social Democrats, Order and Justice and Labour, as well as the ruling Homeland Union and Liberal Movement.

[6] Populist Labour Party had consistently ranked second in the polls, led by Russian-born businessman-turned-politician Viktor Uspaskich.

As part of the election campaign, the party promised to reduce unemployment and massively increase the minimum wage.

The lifetime ban preventing Paksas from running for office was deemed in violation of European Convention on Human Rights in 2011, creating the prospect of him heading the electoral list of Order and Justice.

[2] Homeland Union, which had led the government for the preceding four years, and their coalition partners Liberal Movement took much of the blame for the unpopular austerity measures, suffering in the polls as a result.

However, the Homeland Union exceeded expectations in the municipal elections in 2011, garnering the second-largest share of the vote (behind the Social Democrats),[2] raising hopes that both parties could take advantage of the improving economic situation following the Great Recession.

Their coalition partners, the Liberal Movement (10 seats, down from 11), secured the lead in Lithuania's third largest city, Klaipėda.

[18] The parliament subsequently invalidated the results of another constituency due to voting irregularities following a verdict of the constitutional court.

Labour Party leader Uspaskich denounced the allegations as politically motivated and warned that no one should disrespect the popular choice.

[21] Following the elections, the winning Social Democrats proposed forming a government coalition with the Labour Party and Order and Justice, with Algirdas Butkevičius as the designated Prime Minister.

President Grybauskaitė indicated that she would not accept the Labour Party as part of the government, due to the allegation of electoral fraud and fraudulent bookkeeping.

The outgoing prime minister Kubilius presented the Homeland Union as an alternative coalition partner,[22] a suggestion that Butkevičius quickly rejected.