How elections work in Hungary?

2026 Parliamentary Elections in Hungary

Hungary will hold its next parliamentary election on 12 April 2026, using the same mixed electoral system introduced in 2012. Although the political landscape has changed dramatically since then, the structure of the voting system remains the same, combining single‑member constituencies with party‑list proportional representation.

Who Can Vote?

Every Hungarian citizen aged 18 or over has the right to vote in parliamentary elections. There are two main categories of voters:

• Residents in Hungary: They receive two votes.
• Hungarian citizens living abroad without a permanent Hungarian address: They receive one vote (for the party list only).

Minority voters may choose to vote for a national minority list instead of a party list.

How Many Seats Are There in Parliament?

Hungary’s National Assembly has 199 seats, unchanged since the 2012 reform:

• 106 constituency seats (single‑member districts)
• 93 list seats (party lists + minority lists)

Members of Parliament serve four‑year terms.

How Do the Two Votes Work?

1) Constituency Vote (106 seats)

Hungary is divided into 106 single‑member constituencies. Voters choose one candidate in their district. The candidate with the most votes wins – there is no second round.

2) Party List Vote (93 seats)

Voters also cast a vote for a party list (or a minority list). These votes determine how the 93 proportional seats are distributed.

To appear on the national list, a party must run candidates in at least 27 constituencies across 9 counties and Budapest.

Thresholds and Minority Lists

• The threshold for entering Parliament is 5% of the national party‑list vote.
• Joint lists have higher thresholds:
  • 10% for two‑party lists
  • 15% for lists of three or more parties
• Minority lists do not have a percentage threshold. Instead, they must reach a “preferential quota”, which is significantly lower than the standard threshold.

How Are List Seats Allocated?

Hungary uses a compensatory system. List seats are allocated based on:

• Party‑list votes
• “Fragment votes” from constituencies (votes cast for losing candidates + surplus votes of winning candidates)

This system tends to favour larger parties, especially those with strong constituency performance.

Although the legal framework is the same, several practical and political factors have changed by 2026:

• Constituency boundaries remain those introduced in 2012, but demographic shifts have made some districts significantly larger than others.
• Hungarians abroad now participate in much higher numbers, especially from neighbouring countries.
• The political environment has become more competitive in 2026, with new parties – most notably the Tisza Party – reshaping the landscape.
• EU‑related rule‑of‑law debates and frozen funds have increased international attention on the election.
• Campaigning is more digital, with social media playing a central role.

The electoral system itself, however, has not changed since 2014.

Key Vocabulary

• ballot – a paper or electronic form used for voting
• constituency – a geographical voting district
• party list – a list of candidates nominated by a political party
• threshold – the minimum percentage of votes needed to enter Parliament
• polling station – the place where voters cast their ballots
• exit poll – a survey of voters after they leave the polling station
• majority – more than half of the votes
• campaign – organised activities to persuade voters
• voter – a person who casts a vote
• nomination – the act of selecting a candidate