Budapest, 12 June 2024 - The result of the election of the Mayor of Budapest on 9 June 2024 was established by the Election Commission of the Capital on 10 June 2024 by its Decision No. 203/2024 (10.VI.10.)
Based on Section 241 of Act XXXVI of 2013 on Electoral Procedure (Act XXXVI of 2013 on Electoral Procedure), Dávid Vitéz Mayor candidate for the capital submitted an application for legal remedy against the result to the National Election Committee on 12 June 2024, within the deadline for legal remedy.
On the same day, the National Election Commission (NEC) decided to recount all invalid votes in the election of the Mayor of the capital, and asked the National Election Office to assist in the recount.
The President of the National Election Office (NEO) has instructed the local election offices of Budapest districts to hand over the invalid ballot papers for the election of the Mayor of the capital, so that the members of the local election commission participate in the process of the ballot box opening and the packaging and transport of the invalid ballots. Ballot papers must arrive at the NEO by 4 p.m. on 13 June. Receipt will be carried out by the NEC in the presence of the NEC members. After receipt, the ballot papers will be locked up.
The NEC will start the recount of the 24 592 invalid votes - with the assistance of the NEC - on the morning of 14 June and is scheduled to finish on the same day. The vote count is open to the press.
The counting is carried out by the NEC, which is composed of the 7 members of the elected commission elected by the Parliament, the members delegated by the parties with parliamentary groups (DK, MSZP, Momentum, Jobbik, Mi Hazánk, Párbeszéd, LMP, FIDESZ and KDNP) and the members of the commission delegated by right from the EP list. The list of NEC members is available here: https://www.valasztas.hu/tagok.
According to Article 193,of the Act on Electral Procedure a ballot paper shall be considered invalid if it does not bear the official stamp, if it contains more votes than specified by law, or if it does not contain valid votes. A ballot which has not been cast validly (no two intersecting lines in the circle next to the name of the candidate or list) or for an eliminated candidate or list is also considered invalid. In the case of a ballot paper containing more than one vote, a vote cast for an eliminated candidate shall not be counted.
Therefore, ballot papers where a regular vote is cast for a candidate other than the eliminated candidate shall be considered valid.
For the recount, the NEC will use the guidelines provided in the Election Day Circular of the Capital Election Office. The NEC has 6 days to make its decision, in accordance with the relevant rules of the Electoral Act, and will therefore decide on the appeal on Tuesday 18 June at the latest.