Local election bodies
Local election bodies
Election commissions and election offices
During the election process, the proper application of the law is primarily the responsibility of the electoral bodies – namely the election commissions and election offices.
Election commissions, as the primary guarantors of the legality of elections, are responsible for ensuring that election laws are enforced, with particular attention to independence and impartiality Alongside the election commissions, the election offices play a key role in the electoral process. With the exception of the polling station commission, every election commission is paired with an election office.
Election Commissions
Election commissions are independent bodies that are solely subject to the law. Their primary tasks are to establishe the results of elections, ensure the fairness and legality of elections, enforce impartiality, and, if necessary, restore the legal order of elections. Election commissions are composed ofelected members as well as members delegated by candidates and nominating organizations.
The following election committees operate in each election:
- National Election Commission
- Regional Election Commission
- Parliamentary Single-Member Constituency Election Commission
- Local Election Commission
- Polling Station Commission
Submissions may be made to the election commissions at the address of the election office operating alongside them. In the case of the polling station commission, submissions are made to the local election office.
Election offices
Election offices are election bodies responsible for tasks related to the preparation, organization, and conduct of elections. They provide information to voters, candidates, and nominating organizations, manage election data, and ensure the technical conditions for elections.
The election offices:
- perform organizational tasks related to the preparation and conduct of elections,
- provide information to voters, candidates, and nominating organizations, and operate an election information service,
- perform the secretarial duties of the election commissions andprepare issues falling within the commissions’ competencefor decision,
- ensure the material and technical conditions for the operation of the election commissionsand the conduct of the vote,
- organize the training of the members of the election bodies,
- ensure the handling, secure storage, and destruction of election documents,
- perform tasks related to administrative and IT testing,
- ensure data protection and IT security requirements, operate the election information systems necessary for the preparation and conduct of the election within the scope of their responsibilities,
- provide technical support for the counting of votes and the establishment of election results.
The following election offices operate during each election:
- National Election Office
The National Election Office is an autonomous administrativeinstitution, independent and subject only to the law. It is independent in performing its duties,carrying them out separately from other bodies, free from external influence.
Its budget forms a separate item within the budget chapter of the National Assembly.
The president of the National Election Office is appointed by the president of the republic on the recommendation of the prime minister.
Further information on the National Election Office can be found here.
- Regional Election Office
There is a Regional Election Office in every county and in the capital city.
The head of the Regional Election Office is the clerk of the county government or the chief clerk of the capital city government.
- Parliamentary Single-Member Constituency Election Office
Each singel-member constituency seat has aSingle-Member Constituency Election Office, headed by the clerk of the municipality where the seat is located.
- Local Election Office
Every municipality has its own Local Election Office. In municipalities belonging to a joint municipal office, the tasks of the Local Election Office are performed by a joint Local Election Office. The head of the Local Election Office is the clerk.
By polling station commissions, the local election office acts as the recording clerk.
- Foreign Representation Election Office
A Foreign Representation Election Office operates at foreign representations.
The Foreign RepresentationElection Office performs the tasks assigned to the polling station commission, with the exception of vote counting.
Local Election Offices, Information Services, Election Commission Decisions
Contact details of election offices by municipality, parliamentary single-member constituency or county can be found in Hungarian on the following website. Furthermore, you may download the contact details of the election commissions as well.
Useful links
Contact details for the National Election Commission
National Election Office
National Election Commission
Decisions of the Supreme Court in election matters (Please note, that this content is available only in Hungarian)