Rising overseas registrations and record transferred votes could delay final results, reshaping the race between Fides and the Tisza opposition.
Elections in Hungary: the number of registrations to vote abroad is rising ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for April 12.
According to TVP, nearly 91,000 citizens have already registered to vote at Hungarian diplomatic missions abroad. Hungarian media also note that four years ago this figure was somewhat lower – over 65,500, with about 57,000 actually casting ballots.
An increase in registrations of approximately 40% may be seen as a potential advantage for the opposition party “Tisa,” which typically attracts young and mobile urban residents, matching the profile of Hungarians living abroad.
Vote transfers and their impact on the results
There is also a significant volume of vote transfers in the country: citizens vote not in their place of permanent residence, but in their “native” electoral district. Such ballots in these elections were also record-breaking – 227,000 compared to 157.5 thousand in 2022. This trend is viewed as a potential advantage for the “Tisa” party.
Because of the large number of out-of-district votes, the final results are likely to be announced no earlier than April 18, according to the publication.
According to TVP, Péter Mádár’s Tisa party has widened its lead over the ruling Fidesz party of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
In summary, analysts note that the parliamentary election results may appear with a delay, but high overseas turnout and vote transfers underscore the significant influence of migration and electoral factors on the country’s political situation.