Actual Election
National Election Committee
The duties and authorities of the election committees
are set out in Act C of 1997 as follows:
The election committees are independent bodies of electors, subject only to the law, whose prime responsibility is to ensure the results of the elections, to ensure the fairness of the elections, to enforce impartiality and, if necessary, restore the legal order of the elections.
During the term of its operation, an election committee is considered to be a state authority and its members public officials.
Scope of authority and duties
General duties and authority
National Election Committee:
- issue a statement to ensure uniform interpretation of the regulations and legal practice with respect to the elections; no legal action shall lie against such statement; the statement is to be published in the Official Gazette of Hungary;
- make decisions on appeals submitted concerning the activity of the election office at the diplomatic missions, and on all appeals, which are not subject to the competence of the parliamentary single mandate constituency election committees or the regional election committees;
- make decisions on appeals against the decisions of the regional election committees;
- ascertain and publish the results of the elections evaluated nationally;
- initiate the decision of the body of authority in the event of any legal violation
Special duties and authorities by types of election
Parliamentary elections:
- make decisions on registering national lists and candidates on those lists, and nominating organizations that plan to put forward candidates in several counties/in the Capital, or refusing them;
- select the order (by number) of national lists by random selection;
- assess which nominating organizations have reached the voting threshold percentage (%) determined by law;
- assess which candidate obtained a seat in parliamentary elections out of the national lists;
- issue the letter of appointment to representatives who have obtained a seat on national lists;
- set the date for parliamentary by-elections, and determine the deadlines by calendar days;
- report on the general elections of parliamentary representatives to the Parliament.
Elections for the European Parliament:
- make decisions on registering lists and candidates on those lists, and nominating organizations, or refusing them;
- select the serial number of lists by a draw;
- approve the content of the ballots for the election of the Members of the European Parliament;
- count ballots at the polling station at diplomatic missions, assess the results of the election held at diplomatic missions, and issue a report on the results of voting;
- make decisions on appeals against the decisions of the ballot counting committee on the results of the election;
- assess which nominating organizations have reached the voting threshold percentage (%) determined by law;
- assess which candidate obtained a seat in the elections out of the lists;
- issue the letter of appointment to representatives who have obtained a seat;
- report on the elections of the Members of the European Parliament to the Parliament.
Local government elections:
- report on the elections of the members and mayors of the local governments to the Parliament;
Election of the local government for minorities:
- report on the elections of members of local governments for minorities to the Parliament;
- call for the election of the local and national government for minorities;
- make decisions on appeals against the decisions of the local election committee on the election of the national government for minorities;
- assess the results of the election of national government for minorities, issue a report on the election, and publish the results of the election;
- issue the letter of appointment to representatives who have obtained a seat on the election of the national government for minorities;
- call for local and national government by-elections for minorities;
- report on the elections of the local and national governments for minorities to the Parliament;
National referendums:
- make decisions on the validation of the signature-collection sheet, or the particular question;
- checks the signatures submitted;
- approve the data content of the ballot papers of the national referendum;
- count ballots at the polling station at diplomatic missions; assess the results of the election held at the diplomatic missions, and issue a report on the results of voting;
- make decisions on appeals against those decisions of the ballot counting committee, which are subject to its competence;
- report on the voting on the national referendums to the Parliament.
National popular initiatives:
- make decisions on the validation of the signature-collection sheet;
- checks the signatures submitted;
- make decisions on reserves submitted.
