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The Election Of The Members Of The European
Parliament: Definitions
immigrated Foreign citizens
with the legal status of the immigrated who live in Hungary on a regular basis
with an immigration permit issued by the relevant Hungarian authority, and have
registered domicile on the territory of the country.
They may prove their identity and address with the following
documents: valid identity card, and official certificate certifying personal
identification number and address.
equal suffrage The principle of
the equality of suffrage expresses the requirement that anyone who has the right
to vote shall take part in elections with equal rights, more specifically, anyone
who has the right to vote shall have suffrage of equal value. On the one
hand, suffrage of equal value means the equality of the numerical value
of ballots, in other words, anyone who has the right to vote shall have the same
amount of ballots in the election of the Members of the European Parliament. On
the other hand, it means the equality of the success value of ballots,
that is, voters’ ballots influence the final result of the election with
identical weight.
control The entire process of
conducting the European Parliamentary elections is fully controlled. The
operation and activity of election bodies is public. Anyone delegated by
political parties whose list has been approved by the National Election
Committee may take part in the work of election committees. Members delegated by
political parties may also be present in ballot counting committees at foreign
representations. In the course of the election of the Members of the European
Parliament publicity is strengthened by the fact that the representatives of the
media may be without any special permit present while election bodies work,
however, they shall not disturb the work of these bodies. A further guarantee of
lawfully conducting the election is the system of legal remedy provided by rules
of law. The presence of international observers constitutes a further guarantee
of the system. (See legal remedy)
the voter who casts his/her vote first
Prior
to commencing voting, the ballot counting committee shall, in the presence of
the voter who casts his/her vote first, examine the state of ballot boxes,
whether they are empty, and then close the ballot boxes. After that, the ballot
counting committee shall place a review sheet in the ballot box to be signed
also by the voter who casts his/her vote first. None of the members of the
ballot counting committee may be this person.
Election at foreign representations shall be an exception to
this latter provision. If no voter has cast a ballot until one hour before
closing voting at a foreign representation, any member of the ballot counting
committee may be the voter who casts his/her vote first.
information notice The information
notice on having been entered in the register, or, as commonly called the
proposal coupon, calls voters’ attention to the European Parliamentary
elections, and the fact that they may vote in that election. It contains
information on calling the European Parliamentary elections, inclusion in the
register, and as to when, where and how it is possible to vote. Voters who have
not received the information notice shall apply to the clerk at the relevant
mayor’s office for it.
certificate The certificate shall
be a public instrument issued by the local election office, which shall serve to
allow voters to vote elsewhere than the place they were originally recorded in
the register. In the election of the Members of the European Parliament, the
issuance of the certificate shall lie when a voter intends to vote away from his/her
domicile but in Hungary on election day. In this case, the certificate shall on
the grounds of the voter’s statement contain the settlement where he/she
intends to vote.
Certificates may be applied for at the local election office
at the Mayor’s Office of the domicile personally or through a delegate
before 04:00 p.m. on the second day prior to voting. Certificates may be
requested also by registered mail in such fashion that it shall have been
received by the local election office the latest five days before the election.
the keeper of the minutes On the
day of the European Parliamentary elections, a keeper of the minutes shall act
beside the ballot counting committee, who is a member of the local election
office. The keeper of the minutes is not a member of the ballot counting
committee. His/her task is to maintain various records, minutes and the register
during voting in compliance with the decisions of the ballot counting committee,
and, after closing the voting, to fill in the data sheet and draw up the
electoral district minutes.
legal remedy By referring to the
violation of electoral law, political parties setting up a list and the voter or
legal entity concerned may lodge a complaint. Against the election
committee’s decision adjudging the complaint a reserve may be submitted.
campaign silence period From 00:00
a.m. on the day prior to voting until closing polling stations it is prohibited
to run any election campaign.
violating the campaign silence period
The following actions shall be considered violations of the campaign silence
period: influencing voters’ voting will, especially services provided free
of charge by nominating organisations for voters, distributing party badges,
flags, party symbols, tokens indicating the name of the nominating organisation,
placing election posters, supplying information suitable for influencing voters’
will electronically or otherwise.
public opinion polls From the
eighth day before the day of the election of the Members of the European
Parliament until closing electoral districts on election day, it is prohibited
to publish the results of public opinion polls. On election day, in order to
ensure the calmness of voters and undisturbed voting, public opinion polls may
be made only on the following conditions:
- they shall be anonymous and based on voluntary participation;
- public opinion researchers may not enter the polling station;
- public opinion researchers may not harass voters, or force them to make
a statement, and may ask only those leaving the polling-station. Voters
have the right to keep their opinion secret.
displaying publicly The register
shall be publicly displayed by the clerk of the settlement at the mayor’s
office of the settlement municipality, 60 days before voting, for eight days,
where it can be inspected by anybody. The population shall be informed in
advance about the date of publicly displaying the register the way it is locally
customary. Because of having been omitted from or entered in the register,
during the period of publicly displaying it, reserves may be lodged in writing
with the head of the local election office maintaining the register, the
settlement clerk. In the event the reserve has been refused, legal remedy may be
sought in a competent local court.
Hungarian citizens living abroad Persons
who have left the territory of Hungary with a view to settle abroad, or who as
Hungarian citizens were born abroad and live abroad on a regular basis
permanently, irrespective of whether they have another citizenship, or how often
they come to and how much time they spend in Hungary.
They may prove their identity and address with the following
documents: valid Hungarian passport or driver’s licence issued after 1
January 2001, and an official certificate certifying personal identification
number and address.
voting abroad Voters shall have
the possibility to cast their ballots abroad, at the embassies of the Republic
of Hungary. In order to do so, voters shall request the head of the local
election office (the clerk) of the address to enter them in the register at
foreign representations before the 30th day prior to voting.
settled Foreign citizens with the
legal status of the settled, who live in Hungary on a regular basis with a
domiciliation permit issued by the relevant Hungarian authority, and have
registered domicile on the territory of the country.
They may prove their identity and address with the following
documents: valid identity card, and official certificate certifying personal
identification number and address.
Hungarian citizens living in Hungary Those
having domicile in the territory of the Republic of Hungary, those living in the
country on a regular basis, and also those who (because of their work, foreign
service, or studies) are temporarily staying abroad.
They may prove their identity and address with the
following documents: valid identity card, or passport, or driver’s licence
issued after 1 January 2001, and official certificate certifying personal
identification number and address.
refugee Citizens with the legal
status of refugees, who have a final resolution acknowledging their refugee
status issued by the competent Hungarian authority, live in Hungary on a regular
basis, and have a registered domicile in the territory of the country.
They may prove their identity and address with the following
documents: valid identity card, and official certificate certifying personal
identification number and address.
mobile ballot-box In order to
allow voters hindered in motion to vote, two members of the competent ballot
counting committee shall, at their request, visit them in their flat, residence
with a mobile ballot-box. The secrecy of voting shall be ensured also in this
case. A mobile ballot-box may be requested from the competent ballot counting
committee on the day of voting, but such claims may be notified to the local
election office also prior to the day of voting. The mobile ballot-box may not
leave the area of competence of the electoral district.
At foreign representations it is not possible to apply for a
mobile ballot-box.
register The register is the most
important element in guaranteeing that the elections are conducted lawfully. The
register of those having right to vote in the election of the Members of the
European Parliament (register) is a publicly attested register, from which
citizens can make sure that they may vote at the election of the Members of the
European Union. Also, the register is an important aid for the election bodies
conducting the elections as with it they can check if the voters appearing
before the ballot-box have suffrage, and in order to prevent abuses, they can
identify those who vote several times. The register is publicly displayed.
voting Voters may vote in the
electoral district designated in accordance with their domicile, or where they
have been subsequently entered in the register on the grounds of a certificate
or their documents. Voters included in the register at foreign representations
may cast their vote at the embassies of the Republic of Hungary. It is possible
to cast a valid vote on one list by placing the mark “X” or
“+” in the circle at the name of the nominating organisation. To
make the vote valid it is also required that the vote is cast on an official
ballot paper, that the ballot paper has been sealed, and that it has been filled
in by pencil. (See also: certificate, voting abroad)
time of voting It is possible to
vote from 06:00 a.m. to 07:00 p.m. on the day of voting.
At foreign representations, it is possible to vote from 06:00
a.m. to 07:00 p.m. local time on the day of voting in Hungary. At foreign
representations where time difference compared to Central European time is one
hour (Greenwich time zone), it is possible to vote from 06:00 a.m. local time to
07:00 p.m. CET. On the American continent, it is possible to vote on the day
before the day of voting in Hungary, from 06:00 a.m. to 07:00 p.m. local time.
closing voting The chairman of
the ballot counting committee shall close the polling-station at the time
determined by law. The voters who are in the polling-station or in its entrance
may still vote. After that the ballot counting committee shall close voting, and
no votes may be accepted thereafter.
At foreign representations, voting shall be closed also when
all the voters included in the register at the foreign representation have cast
their vote.
counting ballots, aggregating ballots
After closing voting, the members of the ballot counting committee (BCC)
present are obliged to jointly count each ballot paper. The BCC shall first
arrange unused and spoiled ballot papers into separate bundles, then seal the
bundles. Before opening the ballot-box, the BCC shall check if the ballot-box is
undamaged, then, after opening the ballot-box, compare the number of the
ballot-papers in the ballot-box to the number of persons having cast votes in
the electoral district; then, take out the ballot papers containing invalid
votes. After that the BCC shall determine how many votes each list has received.
The BCC shall record the result of the election in minutes.
members of ballot counting committees
Ballot counting committees consist of members elected by the board of
representatives of local governments, on the one hand, and members delegated by
political parties setting up lists, on the other hand.
Nominating organisations setting up lists shall submit
proposals for the members of ballot counting committees at foreign
representations, indicating one person for each foreign representation. The
National Election Committee shall develop its proposal regarding the three
members of the ballot counting committee to be selected out these candidates for
each foreign representation by a draw. By another draw the Committee shall
select the alternate member out of the four persons.
The three members and the alternate member of ballot counting
committees at foreign representations shall be elected by the Parliament on the
grounds of the proposal of the National Election Committee.
polling-booth At each
polling-station at least two separate polling-booths shall be established, which
serve the secrecy of voting. For voting a pen shall be placed in the
polling-booth.
At foreign representations, however, it is enough to set up
one polling-booth and one ballot-box.
polling-station It is the
official premises that serve the voting of voters living in the same dwelling
environment, the address of which voters can learn of from the proposal coupon.
The chairman of the ballot counting committee shall be responsible for
maintaining order in the polling-station and its vicinity on the day of voting.
Voters may stay at the polling-station only for the period of time necessary for
casting their votes. The polling-station may not be in a building which is used
by any of the political parties. Voters entered in the register at foreign
representations may vote at the embassy, or, if its building is not suitable for
conducting the voting, in another room assigned for this purpose.
electoral district Electoral
districts shall be established in such fashion that one electoral district
should cover approx. 600-1200 voters, however, it is obligatory to establish at
least one electoral district for each settlement.
ballot-paper The ballot-paper
shall indicate the names of nominating organisations setting up a list in the
order determined by a draw, and, at their request, their symbol. In the election
of the Members of the European Parliament, the ballot-paper may indicate 24
candidates from each list in the order notified by the political party. It is
possible to vote only on one list. Before issuing the ballot-paper, the ballot
counting committee shall affix its official seal to the ballot-paper, and the
lack of it shall entail the invalidity of the vote. After they have been filled
in, ballot-papers put into an envelope shall be thrown into the ballot-box. If a
voter indicates before placing the ballot-paper into the ballot-box that he/she
has improperly filled in the ballot-paper, the ballot counting committee shall
impound the spoiled ballot-paper and replace it with a new one. The committee
may only once replace a spoiled ballot-paper with a new one.
foreigners having a staying permit Persons
who have been supplied by the competent Hungarian authorities with staying
permit.
They may prove their identity and address with the following
documents: valid foreign passport, and staying permit issued by the competent
Hungarian authority, and the identity slip of the address registration form.
foreigners having staying visa Persons
who have been supplied by the competent Hungarian authorities with single or
multiple entry staying visa authorising without any further special permit stay
exceeding ninety days but lasting maximum one year, in Hungary, with a definite
purpose.
They may prove their identity and address with the following
documents: valid foreign passport, and staying visa issued by the competent
Hungarian authority.
vote by secret ballot The secrecy
of voting shall mean that voters may cast their vote by secret ballot, without
disclosing the content of the vote to the public. The conditions of vote by
secret ballot shall be provided by the election bodies.
ballot-box It serves to collect
ballot-papers filled in. At each polling-station two or more ballot-boxes shall
be set up for the purpose of voting. The ballot-box shall be locked in the
presence of the voter who casts his/her vote first in such fashion that
ballot-papers may not be removed from it without opening the lock, breaking the
seal, or taking the ballot-box apart.
basic election principles The
universality and equality of suffrage, directness and secrecy of voting.
election committee In the
election of the Members of the European Parliament, ballot counting committees,
at settlements with a single electoral district local election offices carrying
out the tasks of ballot counting committees, at embassies ballot counting
committees at foreign representations, regional election committees, and the
National Election Committee are operated. During the term of their operation
election committees shall be considered authorities, and their members public
officials. Election committees shall act as bodies, the validity of their
resolutions require the presence of the majority of their members and the vote
of the majority of the members present. Election committees shall be represented
by their chairman.
election information service Election
offices operate election information services (EIS), whose key task is to supply
voters, the media, foreign and domestic enquirers and social organisations with
information on the European Parliamentary elections. The election information
services are usually operated at mayor’s offices.
election office Election offices
are election bodies preparing, organising, conducting the election, informing
voters. In the election of the Members of the European Parliament the following
election offices are operated:
- local election offices
- election offices at foreign representations
- parliamentary single mandate constituency election offices
- regional election offices
- the National Election Office.
suffrage (franchise) In the
election of the Members of the European Parliament, any Hungarian citizen of
legal age having domicile in Hungary shall have the right to vote, except when
some natural reason for disqualification arise. Also, Union citizens who have
domicile in Hungary shall have the right to vote. (See also citizens
disfranchised)
citizens disfranchised Voters
regarding whom any of the natural reasons for disqualification determined by law
hold may not exercise their right to vote. Accordingly, anyone who
- is under guardianship limiting or excluding his/her ability to act;
- is subject to a final judgement barring him/her from exercising public
affairs;
- is serving his/her sentence of imprisonment;
- is under compulsory therapy at an institute ordered in a criminal
procedure with legal force shall not have the right to vote.
election bodies Election bodies
include election committees and election offices.
refusing voters The ballot
counting committee may refuse voters (that is, refuse to hand over the
ballot-paper) who are not included in the register and have no certificate, or
are included in the register but are not able to properly prove their identity
and/or address.
At foreign representations, ballot counting committees at
foreign representations shall refuse voters who are not able to properly prove
their identity or are not included in the register at foreign representations.
(See also certificate)
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