Your voting rights on municipal elections depends on your legal status and whether you have an address card.

To have an address card (have permanent address in Hungary) you need to fall under one of these categories:

refugee (“menekült”)
beneficiary of subsidiary protection (“oltalmazott”)
long-term residents (foreigners having “huzamos tartózkodási jogosultság”):
- immigrant (foreigners having “bevándorlási engedély”)
- settled (foreigners having “letelepedési engedély” or “huzamos tartózkodási engedély”)
- interim residence card (“ideiglenes tartózkodási kártya”)
- national residence card (under the new Act, “nemzeti tartózkodási kártya”)
- EU residence card (under the new Act, “EU tartózkodási kártya”)
European Union citizen

If you don't fall under these categories, you cannot establish an official permanent address in Hungary as you only have an accommodation registration form or “szállásbejelentő lap”.

It is important that it is not enough to have an address card, however you also need to be over 18 years old and meet with one of these criteria regarding your status:

a Hungarian citizens
a refugee
a long-term resident (immigrant or settled status, interim, national and EU residence card holders)
an EU citizen

Hence for instance no matter that you have an address card as a beneficiary of subsidiary protection unfortunately you are not eligible to vote on municipal election.

If you are an EU citizen you can also be elected at municipal elections (but people with other statuses are only eligible to vote not to be elected.

As of 23 of March 2024 according to the National Election Office the number of people who are eligible to vote on municipal elections are:

Hungarian citizens with a Hungarian address

7,696,758

Citizens of other EU member states

137,237

Long-term resident, refugee

35,488

What are municipal elections?

During municipal elections we vote for the mayor and members of the local assembly

You can read the whole description about the electoral system on the Nemzeti Választási Iroda (National Elections Office) website: https://www.valasztas.hu/web/national-election-office/general-information

Metropolitan district-Budapest

- Representatives:

- Mayor:

- Lord Mayor:

- Members of the Metropolitan Assembly:

o the elected Lord Mayor,

You can primarily vote at the polling district that belongs to your address. If you wish to vote elsewhere, you need to request it.

The next elections will be on 9th of June.

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