[1] A party must receive at least 5%, and a multi-party union at least 7%, of the national vote to qualify for the proportional representation seats.

However, it is considered that the first Seimas met in Hrodna in 1445 during talks between Casimir IV Jagiellon and the Council of Lords.

[3] As the Muscovite–Lithuanian Wars raged, the Grand Duke needed more tax revenues to finance the army and had to call the Seimas more frequently.

They debated matters concerning the Grand Duchy of Lithuania or tried to establish a common position among Lithuanian delegates before departing for the Sejm of the Commonwealth.

The sejm was a powerful political institution, and from early 16th century, the Polish king (who was the Grand Duke of Lithuania) could not pass laws without the approval of that body.

In addition, beginning in 1573, three special types of sejms handled the process of the royal election in the interregnum period.

The assembly made the decision to demand wide political autonomy within the Russian Empire and achieve this by peaceful means.

In addition, the Constituent Assembly adopted numerous laws, including a broad land reform and introduced Litas as the national currency.

The Seimas continued the land reform, expanded the network of primary and secondary schools and introduced a system of social support.

The Seimas was interrupted by 1926 Lithuanian coup d'état in December, when the democratically elected government was replaced with the authoritarian rule of Antanas Smetona.

After the Soviet ultimatum in June 1940 and subsequent occupation, the Fourth Seimas was dismissed and a puppet People's Seimas was elected in a heavily rigged elections, in order to give legal sanction to the occupation and annexation of Lithuania by the Soviet Union.

The election was won by the (ex-communist) Democratic Labor Party of Lithuania, which gained 73 of the 141 seats in the Sixth Seimas.

[5] Algirdas Brazauskas was elected the first speaker of the Seimas on November 25, 1992, becoming the acting President on the same day.

[6] The period was plagued by poor economic situation and financial scandals, including one involving former Prime Minister Adolfas Šleževičius.

In addition, several high-profile privatizations were undertaken, including that of Mazeikiu Nafta oil refinery.

[9] This term of the Seimas saw Lithuania fulfilling its long-term foreign policy goals of joining NATO and the European Union.

Speaker of the Seimas Artūras Paulauskas also served for two months in 2004 as the Acting President of Lithuania after the impeachement of Rolandas Paksas and before the new election took place.

Ten months later, on September 17, 2009, he was replaced by Irena Degutienė of the Homeland Union,[15] who became the first female Speaker of the Seimas.

[16] The term of the Tenth Seimas was plagued a severe economic crisis and the bust of the housing bubble.

The Seimas and the Government responded with a wide-ranging and much-criticized tax reform and severe austerity, bringing about wide dissatisfaction and protests.

Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union, a minor party in the preceding parliament, won a sweeping victory, securing 54 seats in the Twelfth Seimas (eventually rising to 59 as they were joined by several independents).

The Social Democrats lost a lot of their support and finished with 17 seats (they were joined in the Seimas by the two members of Labour Party), but remained as a junior partner in the ruling coalition with Peasants and Greens Union.

[19] By 2019, the coalition included two other parties (Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania and Order and Justice), but the latter was expelled in the same year.

[20] Elections in 2024, held on 13 and 27 October 2024 to determine the composition of the Fourteenth Seimas, again resulted in an overturning of the government.

[22] The inclusion of Dawn of Nemunas in the ruling coalition sparked local and international backlash due to past anti-Semitic statements made by the party's founder.

[25] In its legislative capacity, the Seimas also sets the basis for a judiciary institution advising and, to some extent, binding the President in appointing, promoting or dismissing other judges.

[29] Ordinary elections to the Seimas take place on the second Sunday of October, with the voting open for all citizens of Lithuania who are at least 18 years old.

Members of Parliament in the 71 single-seat constituencies are elected in a majority vote, with a run-off held within 15 days, if necessary.

If the Seimas decides to commence the procedure of consideration, it appoints the principal and additional Committees to consider the draft law.

The II Seimas Palace, close to Neris river, originally housed the Ministry of Finance of the Lithuanian SSR.