The office sent more than 100 proposed amendments to the Ministry of Justice on 3 November, Telex reported, citing RTL Híradó. The package covers several parts of the electoral system, from address registration and postal voting to campaign rules.
A renewed ban on “voter tourism”
One of the main proposals targets what is commonly described in Hungary as “voter tourism”: registering at an address in another municipality solely to cast a ballot there.
According to Telex, the practice has not been prohibited since 2021. The National Election Office now wants stricter address checks. Nagy said that in a small municipality, a few dozen people changing their registered address could be enough to shift the political balance.
Postal voting for Hungarians living abroad
The proposals would also affect Hungarian citizens who live or work abroad. People who retain a registered address in Hungary would be allowed to vote by post while living overseas.
The process for formally supporting candidates could change as well. Voters would be able to endorse candidates electronically rather than relying exclusively on the current signature-collection system.
Children’s images would be barred from campaigns
A separate rule would prohibit politicians from using footage or images of children for campaign purposes. This restriction is also included among the electoral changes outlined by Telex.
RTL Híradó asked Hungary’s political parties for their views on the proposals. It received a response only from Mi Hazánk, which described the suggested changes as rational.
Source: Telex
