President János Áder has set April 3 as the date of Hungary’s next general election, the earliest possible Sunday that the ballot can be held under the law.
“This year, for the ninth time, Hungarian citizens with voting rights will be free to decide whom they will entrust with the management of our common affairs,” President Áder said in a statement released by his office. “Hungary’s Fundamental Law and the Electoral Procedure Act contain clear provisions on the date by which the President of the Republic may set a general election of members of parliament,” he said. “Based on this statutory mandate, I have set the date of the general election of members of parliament for April 3, 2022, the earliest possible date.”
The election campaign officially starts 50 days before the date of the ballot — on February 12 this time round. Hungary’s 7.8 million voters will have the opportunity to cast two ballots in the single-round election deciding 199 seats.
One ballot directly elects lawmakers in 106 individual constituencies. A formula is used to allocate the remaining seats based on votes cast for a party list. Prospective candidates must secure 500 signatures by February 25 to run in an individual constituency.
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