Editing Elections in Hungary (section)

==National Assembly elections==
Following a reform in 2012, general elections are now conducted under [[Scorporo|a one-round, two-ballot system]]. The total number of seats has been reduced and regional lists have been eliminated. The number of single-member seats has increased from 45.56% of the total to 53.3%. The first ballot is to choose MPs for 106 single-member districts using first-past-the-post. The remaining 93 party-list national seats are allocated based on the sum of second ballot list votes and wasted votes from the first ballot. Wasted votes are votes that were cast for unsuccessful candidates or surplus votes for winning candidates.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.valasztasirendszer.hu/wp-content/uploads/PC_ElectoralSystem_120106.pdf|title=The New Electoral Law in Hungary: In-Depth Analysis|website=Political Capital Institute|access-date=2018-04-08}}</ref> This formula for allocating national seats is a [[Scorporo|cross]] between a [[Parallel voting|parallel mixed system]] and a [[Mixed single vote|compensatory mixed system]].

The [[2014 Hungarian parliamentary election|2014 elections]] were the first to be held according to the new system, which included the following significant changes:

* '''One round''' instead of two rounds.
* '''No turnout requirements'''; formerly, a turnout of 50% was needed for the first round and 25% for the second round.
* The National Assembly included '''199 seats''', reduced from 386 (i.e. 51.6% of the previous total).
** '''106 constituency seats''', reduced from 176; their share increased from 45.6% to 53.3% of total seats.
** '''93 party-list seats''', including minority-list seats, reduced from the 210 MMC and levelling seats; their share decreased from 54.4% to 46.7% of all seats.
* A '''5% threshold''' remains for party lists, '''10%''' for joint lists of two parties, '''15%''' for joint lists of three or more parties.
* The quota for '''ethnic-minority lists''' to win seats is only one-quarter of the general quota.

Minority lists that do not reach the 5% of all minority-list votes and do not get at least one seat, will be able to send a '''minority spokesman''' to the National Assembly, who has the right to speak but not to vote. Practically, only the German and Romani minorities are numerous enough to possibly elect MPs, while the other 13 minorities have spokesmen.

* '''[[Constituency]] borders''' were changed, partly because of the reduced number of constituencies (from 176 to 106), partly because of the demographic changes in the proportion of the population of constituencies in the last 20 years. In the old system, the population of the smallest constituency was 33077, while the population of the largest one was 98167, which meant that the constituency vote of people living in larger constituencies was worth 3 times less than of those living in smaller constituencies. In the new system the difference between the population of the largest and smallest constituencies is lower than 30% (79208 and 109955) and the standard deviation of the population of the constituencies has also reduced from 20% to 8%.<ref>{{cite web|title=Az új választókerületek népesség-arányai|url=http://mindigis.blogspot.hu/2012/02/az-uj-valasztokeruletek-nepesseg.html}}</ref> The average population of constituencies used to be 57089 and will be 94789 in 2014. The constituency borders do not (necessarily) coincide with city or district borders, however, they have to coincide with county borders and with the border of Budapest (so the 19 counties and Budapest are further divided to constituencies). Budapest used to consist of 32 constituencies and will consist of 18 in 2014.
* '''Registration''' - although it had been planned previously - will not be generally required for voting<ref>{{cite news|title=Under pressure, Hungary PM drops contested voting rules|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hungary-voting-idUSBRE9030C220130104 | work=Reuters | date=4 January 2013}}</ref> after being found unconstitutional,<ref>{{cite web|title=Hungarian voter registration found unconstitutional|date=4 January 2013 |url=http://hungarianspectrum.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/hungarian-voter-registration-found-unconstitutional/}}</ref> only those Hungarian citizens will have to register who do not reside in Hungary (do not have Hungarian address card), this registration will be valid for 10 years or until the change of address and will be automatically extended in case of voting (so practically Hungarian citizens outside Hungary will have to re-register only in case of not voting twice or in case of changing home address)

===Nomination of candidates===
*All candidates must be at least 18 years old and Hungarian citizens.
*Candidates standing for '''constituency seats''' must each have received at least 1000 proposal certificates.
*Parties with candidates standing for election in at least 27 (out of 106) constituencies in at least 9 (out of 19) counties and Budapest may present (national) '''party lists'''.
* Each of the legally recognized national minority councils – currently: Armenian, Bulgarian, Croatian, German, Greek, Polish, Romani, Romanian, Rusyn, Serbian, Slovakian, Slovenian, and Ukrainian – may present '''minority lists''' (one list per council).

===Voting===
On Hungarian elections citizens can vote for a party-list (or a minority-list), and in case of residing in Hungary (which is checked by showing the address card) citizens can also vote for a constituency candidate who will be responsible for the local community in the National Assembly.
* At least 18 year old Hungarian citizens with Hungarian residence
** one vote for a party-list
** one vote for a constituency candidate
* At least 18 year old Hungarian citizens without Hungarian residence
** one vote for a party-list
* At least 18 year old Hungarian citizens with Hungarian residence registered as minority voter
** one vote for a constituency candidate
** one vote
*** either for a party-list
*** or for a minority-list

====Implementation of voting====
*at local polling stations
**Hungarian citizens with Hungarian residence (address card) staying in Hungary
***showing the ID card -> being able to vote for a party-list (or a minority-list)
***showing the address card -> being able to vote for a constituency candidate
*at embassies, consulates
**Hungarian citizens with Hungarian residence (address card) staying abroad
***showing the ID card -> being able to vote for a party-list (or a minority-list)
***showing the address card -> being able to vote for a constituency candidate
*by mail
**Hungarian citizens without Hungarian address card
***registering for the elections by mail or electronically (valid for 10 years or until change of residential address, validity automatically extends by 10 years in case of voting), registered citizens receive the voting sheet (only the party-list) by mail, which they fulfill and send back to the election office.

===Results===
In case of the 106 constituency seats, the candidate that receives the most votes (not necessarily more than 50%) in the given constituency, obtains the constituency seat and will be responsible for that local region in the National Assembly. In the case of the 93 party-list seats, parties receive seats in proportion to the votes received out of all the party-list and minority-list votes. These numbers of seats obtained by the parties are calculated according to the [[D'Hondt method]] after checking out whether the party has reached the 5% threshold out of all the party-list votes and whether the minority has reached the 5% threshold out of all minority votes. If a minority-lists cannot obtain at least one seat then the first candidate on the minority-list will be minority spokesman, who has right to speak in the National Assembly but is not allowed to vote.

It is possible that the same person is a constituency candidate and a party-list candidate in the same time. If this person has obtained the seat in their constituency and would also obtain a seat because of the party-list that they are listed on then the next candidate in the party-list replaces the candidate that already has obtained a constituency seat. So, for example, someone being the 50th on a party-list can obtain a seat in the National Assembly even if their party has only won 30 party-list seats, if at least 20 candidates listed earlier than them win in their local constituency. (this rule has simplified as there is no county level between the constituency level and the national level)

Generally, big parties place their most important (national level) politicians only on the party-lists because these people want to deal only with national-level issues (like becoming minister). They represent citizens who voted for their parties and not the citizens of their local community, which is the responsibility of those MPs that obtain constituency seats. On the other hand, leaders of small parties usually qualify both on their party-lists and in their local constituencies because of maximizing votes; the leader of a small party might be much more famous or much more popular than an ordinary local politician of a big party.

===By-elections===
{{Main|List of Hungarian by-elections}}
A [[by-election]] is an election held to fill a constituency seat that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections. In case of the vacancy of a party-list seat, the next person on the list that is still interested gets to the National Assembly.<ref>{{cite book|title=Nemzeti Választási Iroda - |url=http://valasztas.hu/hu/ovi/926/926_1_1_6.html|language=hu|chapter=10. A megüresedett mandátum betöltése}}</ref> This rule has not changed. Note, that by-elections from 2012 are held according to the new system, so only one round is held and no minimum turnout is needed, while the constituencies are the same until 2014.

===Latest general election===
{{Main|2022 Hungarian parliamentary election}}
{{#section-h:2022 Hungarian parliamentary election|Results}}