Elections in Hungary: the most important happenings – UPDATE
Keep up to date with the latest election news in this article:
Read the latest news about elections HERE:
UPDATE 2
Liberal opposition has failed big time, Donáth resigns as Momentum leader
Calculation: based on the results of the EP elections, the Hungarian parliamentary seats would look like this
European elections 2024: Huge changes on the Hungarian political map, this is how the parties commented
Fidesz will have fewer MEPs in the EP, but Orbán sees the EP election as a victory – details HERE
UPDATE
- Local elections in Hungary: a few hundred votes could decide the mayor of Budapest
- Péter Magyar: Tisza to prove itself as Hungarian government’s only real challenger
Karácsony still leads, recount of votes expected
With 98.97% of the votes processed, Karácsony leads by 147 votes. However, due to the high number of invalid votes, a recount is expected very soon.
Karácsony leads
With 94.83% of the votes processed, Karácsony leads – for the first time – by 19 (!) votes.
General Assembly of the Capital partial results
Exciting: Fidesz and the Tisza Party may have 10-10 seats in the General Assembly of Budapest.
Karácsony-Vitézy
It’s a very tight race for the mayoralty in Budapest: Dávid Vitézy leads, but only by 0.5 percentage points over Gergely Karácsony.
First results of EP elections
The first results of the EP elections are in. With 49.30% of the votes processed,
Fidesz is on 43.56% and the Tisza Party on 31.01%. So far, this means 11 and 7 mandates, respectively.
The Democratic Coalition-Socialists-Dialogue for Hungary group is on 8.28% which means 2 mandates. The Our Homeland Party (Mi Hazánk) is the last party to hold a mandate so far, with 6.79% of the votes at half of the votes processed.
Vitézy leads in Budapest
With 13% of votes processed, Dávid Vitézy leads in Budapest.
Péter Márki-Zay to be mayor again in Hódmezővásárhely
Péter Márki-Zay, opposition PM candidate of the 2022 elections, is poised to be the mayor of Hódmezővásárhely for the next 5 years again: at a processing rate of 94.12%, he holds 55.10% of the votes.
First results are in
The first results of the municipal elections are published on the election site. There are districts and municipalities where the processing rate is only 1-2 percent so far, but there are towns where it is much higher, Telex.hu writes.
Counting of postal votes has started
The National Election Committee (NVI) started opening the postal ballots and counting the ballot papers for the European Parliament (EP) elections at 7 PM on Sunday evening. Votes are counted both by machine and by hand.
7 PM: Voting officially closed
Voting officially closes on Sunday evening at 7 PM. However, those who queued up before 7 PM can still cast their vote, so we will have to wait for the first results. According to the National Election Committe, the first results will be announced from 8 PM.
6:30 PM turnout rate
The turnout rate is 56.09% at 6:30 PM, half an hour before polls close.
Turnout rate at 5 PM
More than half of those eligible have voted: 50.69%.
Municipal election results expected from 8 PM
Depending on the processing of the ballot papers, the National Election Committee (NVI) is expected to start publishing the results of the local municipal elections from 8 PM on Sunday evening, MTI reports.
However, the results of the EP elections will not be announced by the NVI until voting closes in Italy at 11 PM.
3 PM turnout: Budapest “woke up”
Budapest voters were not too active before noon. By now, many have gone and cast their votes.
The turnout at 3 PM is 42.04%.
Turnout at 1 PM
The turnout rate is 33.14 percent at 1 PM, still much higher than before.
New York has the highest number of Hungarians voting in the EP elections in the Americas
Due to the time difference, voters who were abroad on election day but are resident in Hungary could vote in the election of Hungarian members of the European Parliament on Saturday, Hungarian time.
In the 22 representations in the Americas, 1,087 out of 1,293 voters turned out at the polls, giving a turnout of 84 percent, the NVI said. In five representations—Brasília, Sao Paulo (Brazil), Montevideo (Uruguay), Ottawa (Canada) and Quito (Ecuador)—all 42 voters on the representation list turned out to vote.
11 AM: Record-breaking participation
Turnout is 22.89% at 11 AM. Since 1998, when participation figures were first published at 11 AM, turnout in local government or EP elections has never been so high.
Participation at 9 AM
Turnout figure at 9 AM is also exceptionally high with 9.98%. According to Telex, in 2019, the national turnout was 7.8% in EP elections and 7.2% in local elections at 9 AM.
High participation in the morning: 7 AM
According to Telex, in Budapest, 1.62 percent of voters, 21,744 people had cast their ballot by 7 AM. Among the counties, the highest turnout at 7 AM was in Tolna county, with 2.47 percent, or 4,331 voters. The lowest turnout was in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county: 1.53 percent, 7,760 voters.
In the 2004 EP elections, 0.90 percent voted, in the 2009 elections 1.07 percent, ten years ago 0.96 percent and five years ago 1.48 percent by 7 AM.
In the 1998 municipal elections, 0.93 percent of voters cast their ballot by 7 AM, and 0.92 percent in the 2002 elections. In the 2006 municipal elections, 1.12 percent of eligible voters, 0.99 percent in the 2010 elections, 1.06 percent ten years ago and 1.12 percent five years ago voted before 7 AM.
Szijjártó first to vote in Dunakeszi
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó was the first voter to cast his ballot in Hungary’s European parliamentary and municipal elections in Dunakeszi, north of Budapest, after polls opened at 6 AM on Sunday morning, the foreign ministry told MTI.
On arriving at the polls, Szijjártó said the vote would have “historic significance and historic stakes”. In its statement, the ministry quoted him as saying “today’s vote will largely determine if in the near future Europe is engulfed in the flames of war or we’ll again be a continent of peace.”
“Those that vote for Fidesz will vote for peace … and contribute to preventing the war in the neighbourhood from spreading and preventing Hungary from becoming another victim of the war,” Szijjártó said. “Hungary has already paid a huge price for a war Hungarians have nothing to do with,” he added.
“It is time to make it clear once and for all that we do not want war, we do not want to live in war and we do not want Europe to be grippled in a war in the years to come,” the minister said.
Orbán continues campaign on Sunday
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has continued his campaign on Sunday, his press chief said. Bertalan Havasi said in a statement that after casting his vote at the European Parliament and local elections on Sunday, Orbán went to Fidesz’s 5th district office and met district mayor Péter Szentgyörgyvölgyi.
Polls open for European parliamentary, local elections
Hungary’s European parliamentary and municipal elections started at 6 AM on Sunday.
Some 7.85 million people are eligible to vote at the municipal elections at 10,119 polling stations across the country until 7 PM.
Nearly as many people can cast their votes for Hungary’s EP representatives at polls in Hungary, and at 147 Hungarian representations abroad, as well as by mail.
More than 216,000 young people will vote for the first time. Fully 29,850 election officers ensure lawfulness of the election process at the polls and in election committees.
The National Election Committee will publish participation figures seven times during the day. Preliminary results of the local election will be published from 8 PM, while the preliminary European results could come out at 11 PM, once voting ends in all European Union members.
Elections held in 3,177 towns and cities
Elections for Hungary’s municipal representatives and Hungarian members of the European Parliament are held at 3,177 towns and cities across Hungary on Sunday.
Three candidates for Budapest mayor and 7,578 candidates in other localities are running in the election. In towns with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants, 33,384 candidates are competing for 14,528 muncipal mandates. In 166 towns and cities with a larger population 6,733 candidates are running for 1,586 mandates in individual constituencies, while there are 6,031 candidates on 640 compensation lists running for mandates to be distributed in line with the number of votes cast on candidates not winning mandates. Fully 1,611 candidates are running for 381 seats in the county assemblies. Budapest’s 10 lists include 319 candidates for 32 mandates in the city assembly.
Some 7,680,000 Hungarians with residence in the country are eligible to vote, as well as 35,000 Hungarians with refugee status, and 137,000 citizens of other European Union members with permanent residency in Hungary. Forty-three thousand voters have requested to vote at a location other than their permanent address in Hungary.
The list of ethnic minority voters includes 345,000 people, 14,000 of whom are running as candidates.
Hungary can delegate 21 representatives to the European Parliament, the whole country considered as a single constituency. Eleven political parties’ election lists have been validated by the National Election Committee – Solution Movement, Politics Can Be Different (LMP)-Greens, Democratic Coalition, Hungarian Socialist Party, Dialogue-Greens, Second Reform Age Party, Everybody’s Hungary People’s Party, Momentum Movement, Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Alliance-Christian Democratic People’s Party, Jobbik-Conservatives, Party of Respect and Freedom (Tisza), Hungarian Two-tailed Dog Party, and Our Homeland Movement.
The party lists will be awarded mandates in proportion with their support if they garner at least 5 percent of the valid votes.
All voting-age Hungarians with a permanent address in Hungary can vote in the EP election, while Hungarian citizens staying abroad on the day of the election could chose from 147 Hungarian representations in 99 countries to cast their ballot. Fully 4,635 citizens of other EU members residing in Hungary have indicated that they would vote for a Hungarian list. Nearly 127,000 Hungarians residing outside the EU can vote by mail.
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I voted in the 6th kerület just after 7A. There was hardly anybody there. It was a quick and easy process. I know my vote will get drowned in “opposition” votes, it being Budape-stan, but I think the country as a whole will send a loud and clear message to Brussels and to Washington that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
No migration, no gender, no war!
Hope you attended a Church service after you cast your vote Steiner Michael, seeking, asking for MERCY and Forgiveness for your “Lost” and Wrongful Political – thoughts, ideas and practices.
I voted around 10am at a countryside small town. A bit of a queue and at the voting place I met several acquaintances who are also fed up with Fidesz. No more xenophobia, fear-mongering, discrimination, anti-EU policies and wasting huge amounts of tax payers money on massive propaganda campaigns instead of improving public health-care and education. Enough is enough – we need a change, and we are plenty who want a change all across the country.
Concur – ostanus.
The “mood” within the population, evident noticeable over the past 12 – 18 months, as Orban – his Fidesz Government, have embarrassed, shamed and HUMILIATED our country Hungary, insulted us personally, in millions, as citizens, a country we know, as we are – with an ageing population, that continues, that deaths yearly over births DISPROPORTED dangerously, that in fact, the Orban – Fidesz Government through ABSOLUTE in-effective Policies that have FAILED – that have FEED made horrifically un-manageable, for the future of Hungary.
The overall PLACE – we have been DELIVERED to as a country, spanning back nearing (2) two decades ORCASTRATED by the name Victor Mihaly Orban – Disgraceful.
It’s TIME = for a re-payment to the Orban – Fidesz Government, that MUST end in there name being RIGHTFULLY Humiliated and DEFEATED.
When you STOP a Dictator there are always Risks.
In the case of Victor Mihaly Orban – there are GREATER Risks for Hungary, our individual future, families and children, grand-children, and our country = in NOT stopping a DICTATOR, that has become Victor Mihaly Orban.
Orban has systematically caused introduced the DISTILLATION of DEMOCRACY in Hungary, and for this ALONE, he must NEVER be APPEASED,
Jeez guys your American Liberal propaganda is strong, you’ve got nothing better to do?
Our current officials have kept our borders secure and kept us out of your war in Ukraine.
There would be no war there if it wasn’t for American interests, lining the pockets of rich politicians and NATO expansionism.
Our people will go out and vote, despite the unwelcome influence of foreign backed NGO’s.
The U.S. used to be a shining beacon of hope and now it is nothing more that a joke with their huge deficit, homelessness problems in major cities and you can’t even secure your own borders. Solve your problems at home before meddling in the affairs of other countries.
No one wants your agenda here with 70+ gender pronouns, legalized drugs and unconditional support for coke-head Z.
Between April 30th and May 29th Fidesz spent more than double on Google political ads than any other party in the entire EU. The spending of Fidesz on its’ disinformation and political campaigns is absolutely massive as any Hungarian can see for themselves choosing just one example being the billboards. Where does the money come from? There is no democracy when the governing party uses the resources of the state for party purposes which is quite obviously what goes on in Hungary. The opposition meanwhile is choked off through Fidesz devised regulations and mafia methods scaring off potential donors. Young people see what is going on and that written off their country as completely lost. There is some hope with Peter Magyar but the system is so completely stacked against any form of opposition that it seems almost hopeless. Hungary has plunged into a black hole of dictatorship masquerading as a democracy.
Stuffed reading all that is happening in Hungary.
The Prime Minister and his Party have a large power vote of numbers in your Parliament, that just lets them do as they please.
They don’t seen to lie straight in bed, with what appears growing relationships with Russia and China as we know Communist country’s as opposed to supposedly Hungary being a Democracy.
Think calling Hungary a democracy bit of an insult to the word.
Following theses elections and what will be of interest, if the Governing Party get “Hammered” the way that is handled by the bloke Victor Orban.
Can’t imagine him going to the EU in a “peace meal” deal.
By all accounts he has moved Hungary into a dictatorship form of government, along the lines of communism.
Be interesting the way it plays out, if the government after these elections come out of them mildly scared, imagine this Bloke Orban will just continue on his merry way, that could completely ruin Hungary, leaving you with no real country nor future and certainly not a democracy.
Anyhow, see what happens, then moving on what is it next year your national elections same to me applies, if Orban wins, by that time I think Hungary will be a deeply depressive country, and gets re-elected its just a matter of a few short years that Hungary will be far worse off as a country, living in it, working in it, than it is to-day.
Going to be hard to keep the young youth of Hungary living there as if they seek and want lives of greater prospects and opportunities don’t think Hungary’s there place to be.
Sorry but think that Hungary is STUFFED in a bad way.