🔴 Live: Hungary election 2026 — TODAY, minute by minute. Daily News Hungary’s independent newsroom is publishing verified updates in real time, with timestamps and context as new information becomes available throughout the day.

The most recent information appears at the top, with older entries listed below in chronological order:

Victory speech by Péter Magyar:

I also call on President Tams Sulyok to ask him to form a government, and then to step down from office!

PM candidate Péter Magyar: We have reclaimed our homeland! – Hungary election 2026

Hillary Clinton on the ousting of the Fidesz government

The global media is abuzz with coverage of the Hungarian elections: following numerous Hungarian public figures, former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has now also commented on the ousting of the Fidesz government.

The ousting of Viktor Orbán’s autocratic regime is a victory for everyone who values democracy

—the politician wrote on X, before offering her congratulations to the Tisza Party and Péter Magyar.

Nearl 90 % of votes counted

Voter turnout at diplomatic missions was 93.41 percent

Voter turnout at diplomatic missions was 93.41 percent in the parliamentary election, according to data released by the National Election Office (NVI) on Sunday evening.

Voters with a registered address in Hungary were able to vote at Hungary’s diplomatic missions abroad (embassies and consulates). A total of 90,730 people were listed on the voter registry at diplomatic missions, of whom 84,749 actually went to vote, meaning turnout was 93.41 percent across the 149 diplomatic missions. Voting could not be held in Erbil and Tehran due to the security situation.

London had the highest number of registered voters, with 9,500, of whom 8,924 actually voted, resulting in a turnout of 93.94 percent in London. A large number of voters also registered in Munich (5,542), of whom 5,172 actually voted (93.32 percent).

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NATO chief and German chancellor congratulate Magyar

NATO Secretary General and the German Chancellor also congratulated Péter Magyar, further underscoring the strong international attention and swift European response to the election result.

Macron and Weber among the first foreign leaders to congratulate Magyar

Among the first foreign political figures to react to Péter Magyar’s victory were French President Emmanuel Macron and Manfred Weber, chairman of the European People’s Party, signalling how closely the Hungarian election was being watched across Europe.

Their early messages suggested that the result was seen not merely as a domestic political change, but as a potentially important turning point in Hungary’s relationship with the European mainstream. International reactions began arriving quickly after polls closed and partial results pointed to a landmark defeat for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power.

The Chain Bridge was lit up in red in honor of the winner

72,44% of votes counted

Orbán: We lost, and I congratulated the winner!

Viktor Orbán acknowledged his defeat and congratulated the winner. Although the final results are still far from in, the Tisza Party is close to a two-thirds victory. Details HERE.

53% of votes counted

45.71% of votes counted – National list results

With 45.71% of votes cast for national lists counted, the number of votes cast for party lists is as follows, according to data from the National Election Office:

1. TISZA (51.98 percent, 737,089 votes)

2. FIDESZ-KDNP (39.38 percent, 558,397 votes)

3. Mi Hazánk (6.07 percent, 86,100 votes)

4. DK (1.18 percent, 16,678 votes)

5. MKKP (0.77 percent, 10,855 votes)

Total valid votes cast for national party lists and ethnic minority lists: 1,418,142

Nearly 30% of votes have been counted

Here are the official election results for the national list

President Sulyok: The election went smoothly, inaugural session of the National Assembly within 30 days

The 2026 parliamentary election went smoothly, said the President of the Republic on Sunday evening after receiving a report from the National Election Office (NVI).

In his press statement at the NVI headquarters, Tamás Sulyok said that, according to currently available data, 77.8 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots.

The head of state noted that the final results are still pending, with only preliminary results expected on Sunday; under the Fundamental Law, the President of the Republic must convene the inaugural session of the National Assembly within 30 days of the election, at which time he must also propose a candidate for Prime Minister.

So far this day

Hungary election 2026: polls close after record turnout

Liberty Coalition for Free and Fair Elections: Hungarian voters cast their ballots in democratic and free elections

With record-high turnout, Hungarian voters cast their ballots in democratic and free elections to elect members of the next National Assembly. This reflects Hungarian voters’ confidence in democracy and the integrity of the electoral system, the Liberty Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (LCFFE) international election observation mission told MTI on Sunday.

In their statement, they wrote: following several weeks of preparatory work, on election day more than 80 LCFFE observers monitored the electoral process throughout the country. During their work, the observers inspected more than 70 polling stations in 45 individual National Assembly constituencies.

With 2.86 percent of votes counted, Fidesz leads the national tally

With a low turnout of less than 3 percent—likely based mainly on votes counted in rural areas—Fidesz leads with 48.18 percent, Tisza has 43.38 percent, and Mi Hazánk has 6.12 percent.

The Fidesz crowd gathered to await the results erupted in cheers after the Election Office released the first figures showing the ruling party in the lead.

One of the Tisza Party’s parties in Budapest

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Last polls

Final major surveys: Hungary election polls close with Tisza on course for possible two-thirds landslide

TISZA supporters are gathering here to celebrate

Péter Magyar writes: TISZA’s central election results gathering has already begun in Budapest, at Batthyány Square on Bem Embankment and Angelo Rotta Embankment.

Everyone is warmly welcome, he writes, and he emphasized that everyone should remain peaceful and cheerful throughout, and that no one should fall for any government-backed or propaganda provocations.

That’s it! Voting has closed – Hungary election 2026

The election in Hungary officially concluded in 2026. So far, no extraordinary events have disrupted the election. We are now awaiting the final turnout figures, and with the first results coming in, the most exciting phase of the election is about to begin.

Voter turnout at 5 PM – An all-time record was set

Hungary election 2026: Voter turnout at 5 PM reaches over 74% – UPDATE

The election website was unavailable to certain users

Due to fine-tuning of firewall security settings, the website www.valasztas.hu was unavailable to new visitors for a short time on Sunday afternoon, the president of the National Election Office announced at a meeting of the National Election Commission on Sunday.

Attila Nagy emphasized that the official election website, www.valasztas.hu, did not go down.

According to him, due to the high volume of traffic, IT specialists fine-tuned the firewall settings in the afternoon, which resulted in new visitors being unable to access the website. He added that once this was detected, it was corrected.

Magyar: We are living through the final hours of Orbán’s regime

Péter Magyar social media message:

The entire TISZA community and the millions of Hungarians who support us are awaiting the closing of the polls this evening with cheerfulness, confidence, and peace of mind: the turnout figures from earlier today confirm what we already knew. Today is a celebration of the referendum that brought about the change of regime, an event that will go down in Hungarian history books.

It is the usual Fidesz scare tactics and lies to claim that anyone is preparing for violent protests or building occupations after the polls close. This attempt to stir up trouble undoubtedly sprang from the minds of the Russian advisors present here. Such fake news is just Fidesz’s usual, feeble, and desperate attempts to stir up sentiment and spread lies.

My fellow citizens, We are living through the final hours of Orbán’s regime: let us bid them farewell calmly and with dignity, and tomorrow let us set about reuniting the nation.

Please, if you haven’t voted yet, be sure to go do so by 7 p.m., because every single vote really does count. And convince your relatives, acquaintances, and friends of this! God bless Hungary!

Orbán: Hungary’s peace and security could hinge on a single vote today

Hungary’s peace and security could hinge on a single vote today. This is a decision that cannot be undone tomorrow, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán wrote on his Facebook page on Sunday afternoon.

In the video shared in the post, the prime minister stated: “Many people are voting, and the stakes are enormous. Hungary’s peace and security may hinge on a single vote today. If we fail, the threat of war looms over us,” he pointed out.

He added:

if we make a mistake, the financial security of Hungarian families will be at risk. This is a decision that cannot be undone tomorrow.

“We must defend Hungary today, which is why not a single patriot can stay home today. Only Fidesz! Rise up, to victory!” — Viktor Orbán concluded.

Did you know? How are seats allocated in Hungary’s parliamentary election?

Hungary’s National Assembly has 199 seats: 106 MPs are elected in single-member constituencies, while 93 seats are distributed via national party lists. Parties generally need to clear a 5% threshold on the national list vote to enter parliament.

How to read election night in Hungary – quick guide

Election-night numbers in Hungary can move fast — and early snapshots can be misleading. Results do not arrive all at once: they appear in waves, depending on how quickly each polling station finishes counting and uploads its official record. That means the first partial results may reflect an uneven sample rather than a representative picture of the country.

A 50% completion rate already reveals certain trends, while a 70–80% completion rate truly shows the balance of power.

Why results come in gradually

After polls close, vote-counting committees at each polling station count ballots and produce an official protocol. Those figures are then entered into the national system by local election offices. Some stations report quickly, others later, so the running totals shift as more data is added. In practice, the first numbers often come from places that finish earlier, which can temporarily skew the balance.

The order of counting matters

Counting typically follows a set sequence: ballots for single-member constituency candidates are counted first, followed by national party-list votes, and then nationality-list ballots. Because of this, constituency results often start appearing earlier, while party-list totals may lag behind. For readers abroad, this is important: Hungary’s parliamentary outcome depends on both constituency races and the party-list vote, so a clear overall picture usually takes time.

Both sides are drawing huge crowds

This is what the campaign-closing events looked like:

Viktor Orbán in Budapest

Péter Magyar in Debrecen

FAQ – Did you know? Orbán’s tenure as prime minister sets a record

And if he wins, he could set even more records; if he loses, it could mark the end of an era.

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Votes are now being counted here: everyone had already voted in two polling stations

Voter turnout was complete by early Sunday afternoon in the country’s two smallest polling stations: in Tornakápolna, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, and in a district of Budapest, every registered voter had cast their ballot by 1:00 p.m.

The country’s smallest polling station is in Budapest: only six voters were expected at Polling Station No. 25 in Individual Constituency No. 1 (centered in District V) on Sunday, and by 1:00 p.m., all of them had cast their ballots.

In Tornakápolna, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, all voters had cast their ballots by 1 p.m. on Sunday, according to data from the National Election Office. Tornakápolna is one of the country’s smallest polling stations; the voter registry lists 20 voters, and according to NVI data, all of them had cast their ballots by 1 p.m.

Voter Turnout – 3 PM

Hungary election 2026: Voter turnout at 3 PM reaches a huge record – UPDATE

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When can we expect the first results from Hungary election 2026?

Election night in Hungary: preliminary results to be published this evening

Based on our experience, we should have results that are close to final within a few hours tonight.

The biggest question will be: how wide will the margin between the parties be? If it’s large, the absentee ballots won’t make a difference, but if it’s very close, it could take up to a week to announce the final results.

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Let’s hope the expert isn’t right…

Former Hungarian national security officer warns of possible Russian-linked provocation on election day

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Magyar: cap PM term to two cycles, suspend public media news

Magyar Péter says Tisza’s day-one agenda would be tough: anti-corruption steps, an asset recovery office, EPPO bid, preparing a transfer of power — plus a two-term cap for PMs and suspending public media news until balanced reporting is ensured. Details here.

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1 PM – National turnout: 54.14%

According to data from the National Election Office (NVI), 54.14 percent of eligible voters—4,075,272 voters—had cast their ballots by 1 p.m. in Sunday’s parliamentary election.

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Explainer for foreigners

How Hungary election votes will be counted and when results arrive

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This is what the national ballot looks like in Hungary

Democracy Centre by Fidesz

As we wrote earlier, Fidesz launches “Democracy Centre” to monitor “Tisza’s election-day abuses”

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Unusual business transaction: $753 million payout to shareholders

MOL, Hungary’s largest oil company, has traditionally paid out dividends to shareholders at the end of April every year. With the election approaching, they quickly distributed $753 million. It’s a massive sum, and it went to some interesting places. Story from our headline: MOL dividend explodes before elections

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Dobrev has also cast her vote

The leader of the Democratic Coalition (DK) has also cast her vote. The DK was the strongest opposition faction in the current parliament; now, according to projections, it has very little chance of securing any seats in parliament at all.

To win seats, they must secure 5% of the vote in the election.

If DK fails to enter parliament, this will be the first time since the 1989 transition that the traditional left will be represented by no party in the National Assembly.

“The ‘X’ that people mark on their ballots today will determine Hungary’s fate for years to come. It’s not just for a week, it’s not just for a month—it’s for years to come,” declared the president of the Democratic Coalition (DK).

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One of the most popular betting topics in the world: the 2026 Hungarian election

In mid-January, Polymarket became inaccessible in Hungary, but that doesn’t mean you can’t place bets. Following morning data indicating record participation, Népszava noted that the percentage of those who believe Péter Magyar could be the next prime minister had skyrocketed; at 9:25 a.m., he was leading with 80 percent, while Viktor Orbán stood at 20 percent.

This is currently the most popular bet: users have already wagered nearly $65 million; five days ago, that amount was $50 million.

Our previous news about Polymarket: Even the company of Trump’s son “believes” that PM Orbán will lose power in April

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11AM – National turnout: 37.98%

Compared to 25.77% four years ago, turnout in the parliamentary election had already reached 37.98% by 11 a.m. This is an exceptional figure. In 2018, turnout did not reach 30 percent at this time, and in the elections of the past two and a half decades, it remained well below that level, as shown in our chart.

Voter Turnout – 11 a.m. – Budapest – 36.98 percent

According to data from the National Election Office (NVI), 36.98 percent of eligible voters had cast their ballots in the capital by 11 a.m. on Sunday during the parliamentary election.

In Budapest, according to data from 7 a.m., 3.45 percent of the 1,271,000 eligible voters—43,889 voters—had cast their ballots. By 9 a.m., 15.96 percent of eligible voters (202,934 voters) had cast their ballots, and by 11 a.m., 36.98 percent of eligible voters (470,230 voters) had gone to the polls.

Interesting figures about Hungary election 2026

• 7.5 million voters are expected to cast their ballots in the election
• 293,000 young people will be eligible to vote for the first time,
• Voters without a registered address in Hungary may vote by mail. 497,000 people requested to be added to the voter registry. By Sunday morning, the National Election Office (NVI) had received 293,000 mail-in ballots, of which 50,000 were sent directly to the NVI and 243,000 were cast at diplomatic missions
• More than 39,000 delegates were registered with the country’s 10,047 vote-counting committees by the parties running in the election, national minority self-governments, and independent candidates. According to information from the NVI, the Tisza Party provided the most delegates, 20,000, while Fidesz provided 17,000.

And why is the presence of election observers important? Because more than half of Hungarian voters believe that election fraud is possible, read here the latest survey by the Publicus Institute

Election day offer: Wáberer pledges HUF 300,000 (€770) for evidence of attempted fraud

Businessman György Wáberer has offered a HUF 300,000 (€770) reward to anyone who helps expose election fraud, promising the payment to those who file an official report with the authorities and provide substantial evidence, according to HVG.

The offer would also apply to people involved in the alleged wrongdoing themselves if they come forward and report it. Wáberer has recently taken a clear stance in the campaign as well, previously posting a video arguing that the parliamentary election is about whether Hungarians want the country to belong to Europe or to Russia.

What makes this case interesting is that Wáberer previously held the positions of Prime Minister’s Special Envoy and Government Commissioner.

Interesting fact: This is the constituency with the most candidates

The largest number of candidates in Sunday’s parliamentary elections are running in the 5th electoral district of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County—an individual electoral district centered around Sátoraljaújhely.

Ten candidates are running here: the Party of the Center, the Democratic Coalition, the Respect and Freedom Party, Fidesz-KDNP, the Jobbik Movement for Hungary, the Party of Solidarity – Hungarian Workers’ Party, the Our Homeland Movement, the Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party, the Party of Normal Life, and one independent candidate.

The President of the Republic also voted; his role could grow if there is no Fidesz majority

Today, Election Day, is a celebration of independence and democracy, said President Tamás Sulyok—elected by the Fidesz parliamentary majority—in a post published on his Facebook page on Sunday.

President Sulyok was elected by Fidesz’s parliamentary majority, and since then, he has signed every parliamentary decision, allowing them to become law immediately.

If Fidesz loses its majority, the president is expected to veto several bills and send them back to parliament. He has three years left in his term.

Orbán and Magyar cast ballots as Hungary votes

Read their statements following the vote. HERE.

Hungary election 2026: turnout at 9 AM reaches 16.89%

Turnout in Hungary election 2026 stood at 16.89% by 9 AM on Sunday, details HERE.

NVI: Voting has begun smoothly across the country

All polling stations opened without incident for the parliamentary elections, and no reports of extraordinary incidents have been received, the head of the National Election Office’s (NVI) organizational department told MTI on Sunday morning.

Tamás Mucsi said that all 10,047 polling stations across the 106 single-member districts have begun operations without incident, voting conditions have been secured, and the first voters were able to cast their ballots everywhere.

International observers have also been monitoring the voting since this morning.

By the time the polling stations close at 7 p.m.,

nearly 7.5 million voters are expected to cast their ballots, he added.

Read here all news about Hungary Parliamentary elections 2026