Local elections 2006

Please click here for detailed information

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS 2006

Pursuant to the Constitution of the Republic of Hungary, citizens eligible to vote exercise local self-government through representative bodies elected by them and by local referendum.

Accordingly, the purpose of the municipal election is to establish the new local governments at the settlements and in the counties of Hungary, and in its capital city, and to elect the minority governments of settlements.

Pursuant to the Constitution, every Hungarian citizen of age with domicile in the territory of the Republic of Hungary and the citizens of age of any other member state of the European Union having domicile in the territory of the Republic of Hungary are eligible to members and mayor of local self-governments – if staying in the territory of the Republic of Hungary on the ballot day – and to vote. The citizens of another member state of the European Union, nevertheless, cannot be elected for mayor or lord mayor. Pursuant to the Constitution, the individuals of age recognized as refugees, immigrants or settled have the effective right to vote as well.

Municipal elections are single ballots to be held in October of the fourth year following the previous general elections. This is the occasion when the settlement representatives and mayors as well as the members of the county assembly and the minority self-governments of settlements are elected. The citizens eligible to vote in the capital city elect at the same time the members and the mayor of district governments as well as the members of the metropolitan assembly and the lord mayor.

Election of local government members in settlements with 10.000 inhabitants or less

The whole of a settlement having 10.000 inhabitants or less constitutes one electoral district. The voters of the settlement elect the members of the local self-government on a ’small list’ by the so called „block vote” method where the names of all candidates are listed on the ballot paper in alphabetical order, and voters may vote for at most as many candidates as the number of representatives eligible for the settlement (the vote is valid even if the voter has voted on less candidates than allowed!). The number of eligible candidates is indicated on the ballot paper.

The candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall become elected members. Candidates having collected no votes cannot be members. In the event if not all mandates can be allocated due to a tie, mandates shall be allocated by drawing. If fewer candidates have been elected than the eligible number of members, mid-term election shall be called for the seats left empty.

No election can be held if fewer candidates have been nominated than the eligible number of members. Mid-term election shall be scheduled in this event, as well, and held within 4 month. In the event of elections omitted due to the lack of candidates, the mandate of the current body of representatives shall be prolonged until the day of the mid-term election.

Should a candidate nominated on a small list be elected for mayor in the same settlement, he/she shall be cancelled from the small list and replaced by the candidate with the next highest number of votes.

Election of local government members at settlements with more than 10,000 inhabitants and in the districts of the capital city

The voters of settlements elect the members of the local governments in a mixed electoral system. This means that about 60% of mandates are allocated in the individual constituencies and 40% from compensation lists.

The territory of the settlement is split into as many individual constituencies as specified by law. One member can be elected in each constituency who may be nominated as independent candidate or as candidate of the nominating organization. No election can be held in individual constituencies where there are no candidates. In this event, mid-term election shall be held within 30 days.

Each voter can vote for one candidate. The mandate shall be allocated to the candidate who has got the most votes. In case of a tie, the election is inconclusive and mid-term election shall be held.

The organization having nominated candidates in one quarter of the individual constituencies at least can launch a compensation list. The nominating organizations that have nominated joint individual candidates in one quarter of the individual constituencies at least, can launch a joint compensation list. The number of mandates to be allocated from compensation lists is specified by law.

The nominating organizations can get mandates from the compensation lists based on the surplus votes collected in the individual constituencies.

The votes cast for the candidate of the nominating organization are considered surplus votes if the candidate has not got any mandate.

Mandates are allocated by the modified Saint-Laguë method where a table shall be compiled in which a column of numbers should be created under the name of each compensation list. The first figure of the column is the number of surplus votes cast for the list concerned divided by 1.5, the next is its one third, one fifth, one seventh and so on. The largest number should be selected in the table, and the list in which that number has been found shall get a mandate. Then the next largest number should be selected, and the list in which that number has been found shall get the next mandate. This procedure shall continue until mandates are available for allocation.

Election of mayors and of the lord mayor

For the election of a mayor, the whole of the settlement shall constitute one constituency.

The mayor shall be elected by the majority method i.e. the candidate having collected the most votes becomes the mayor of the settlement. In case of a tie, the election is inconclusive and mid-term election shall be held. No election can be held in the lack of candidates, and mid-term election shall be held in this event, as well. Until the election of the new mayor, the current mayor shall remain in office. Each voter can vote for one candidate of mayor.

Election of the county assembly members

The county assembly election takes place in two constituencies. One of these constituencies comprises the settlements of the county having 10,000 or less inhabitants, and those with more than 10,000 inhabitants belong to the other (except for towns of county rank). The number of mandates that can be allocated on the county list is established by law for both constituencies depending on the number of inhabitants in the county. Each voter can vote for one list.

The allocation of mandates shall take place separately in each constituency.

The list that has not reached more than 4% of all valid votes cast in the constituency must not be involved in the allocation of mandates. Mandates shall be allocated by the modified Saint-Laguë method, as well. Candidates got mandates in the order of announcement.

Election of the metropolitan assembly

The capital city constitutes one constituency, the number of mandates to be allocated is 66. Each voter is eligible to vote validly for one list. The list that has not reached more than 4% of all valid votes cast in the constituency must not be involved in the allocation of mandates. Mandates shall be allocated by the modified Saint-Laguë method, as well, and candidates got mandates in the order of announcement.

Election of the settlement self-governments of national and ethnic minorities

The Constitution guaranties the right of setting up local and national self-governments to the communities of national and ethnic minorities recognized in Hungary. Pursuant to the Act No. LXXVII of 1993 on the rights of national and ethnic minorities, minority elections can be held by the Bulgarian, the Gypsy, the Greek, the Croatian, the Polish, the German, the Armenian, the Rumanian, the Ruthenian, the Serbian, the Slovakian, the Slovenian and the Ukrainian minorities.

 

Those Hungarian citizens included in the electoral register of a minority can take place in the election of the members of minority governments. Minority nominating organizations can only nominate candidates for minority settlement governments. Individuals included in the electoral register in the settlement where nominated for candidacy or in another settlement can only be candidates (even if no election is held in the settlement being the domicile of the candidate because less than 30 candidates are included in the minority electoral register). Voting can take place if the number of candidates is 5, at least.

The returning board shall count the votes separately by minorities and record the results of counting in the minutes.

The local electoral committee shall establish the outcome of the election on the basis of the minutes, where the 5 candidates having collected the most votes shall get mandate. Every settlement minority government has 5 members.

The homepage contains the outcome of the 2006 general municipal elections as well as legal and administrative information, and general information.

Last modify: 2010.02.11.