Hungarian Parliamentary Elections Set for April 3

President János Áder has called the parliamentary elections for April 3, 2022, which is the earliest possible date for the election to be held, according to the law.

As the state news agency MTI reports, the deadlines related to the election are set by decree of the Minister of Justice after the election is set, but the most important deadlines are already known on the basis of the law on electoral procedure.

According to this law, the 7.8 million or so voters residing in Hungary must receive notification of their inclusion in the electoral roll by February 11. Anyone who does not receive the notification can request it from the notary (local election office).

The official campaign starts on the 50th day before the election, i.e. February 12, which means that the funds that can be used for this purpose are allowed to be spent during this period.

In single-member constituencies, the law requires at least five hundred recommendations from voters living in the constituency to stand as a candidate, and candidates have until 16:00 on February 25 to collect recommendations on the recommendation forms. They must hand in their recommendations to the constituency electoral commission. The electoral commission decides on the registration of candidates.

A party that has nominated an independent candidate in at least 71 single-member constituencies in at least fourteen counties and the capital may put forward a national list. A joint list may be drawn up on the basis of joint individual candidates. National minority self-governments may also set up a list of their own, for which the recommendation of at least one per cent of the voters registered as national minority voters is required. National lists must be reported to the National Election Committee (NEC) by 16:00 hours on February 26, the latest.

The more than 420,000 Hungarian citizens who do not have a Hungarian address and registered before or after the 2018 parliamentary elections will continue to be included in the register of postal voters, i.e. they will not have to re-apply for registration. Hungarian citizens from abroad who have not yet registered can submit their voter registration application to the National Election Committee by March 9.

For voters abroad, the Electoral Office will send the postal voting package to the voters after the national list of parties has become legally valid, and the voter can either send the envelope containing his/her vote to the foreign representations until the end of the voting period, or to any parliamentary constituency election office during the voting period in Hungary, or send it by post to the NEC, in which case the vote must be received by 19.00 hours on April 3.

Voters residing abroad on election day may vote in Hungary's embassies and consulates-general if they have registered in the register of voters at the foreign representation by 16:00 hours on March 25.

Those who are not in their place of residence on polling day but wish to exercise their right to vote in another settlement in Hungary may also apply to the electoral office of their place of residence to re-register in another settlement by 16:00 hours on March 25. Those who re-register may also vote for the individual candidates of their original address in the municipality of their choice.