The Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a human rights NGO, cautioned that a law on voter tourism “poses a risk of multiple voters reregistering in single constituencies expecting a tight race, aiming to influence election results.” The European Platform for Democratic Elections, an independent alliance of European election observers based in Warsaw, also raised alarms regarding this practice, indicating that it “might not only skew election outcomes but could decisively impact ‘battleground districts.’”
Extra Hungarian Voters Next Door
Seeking more votes and seats before the 2014 election, Orbán granted citizenship and voting rights to approximately 2 million ethnic Hungarians living in nearby countries. Over time, countless individuals from territories that were part of Hungary before World War I accepted this offer.
These voters, often older, hold irredentist views regarding Hungary’s post-war territorial losses. Approximately 90 percent of them tend to support Fidesz, which has poured millions of euros into their communities. With nearly 500,000 registered to vote among the roughly 8 million eligible Hungarian voters, their impact is significant.
Moreover, voting is convenient for near-abroad Hungarians, as they can vote by mail. “Organizations closely linked to the ruling party have been seen collecting these votes, envelopes, and ballots for delivery. This has been documented,” explained Péter Kramer, a seasoned election observer with EU experience.
For Hungarian émigrés further away, often younger and favoring opposition parties, the voting process is cumbersome. They need to vote at embassies and consulates, facing numerous checks. Kramer informed POLITICO that the result is “a high turnout of about 50 percent among near-abroad Hungarians with 90 to 95 percent voting for Fidesz, but a low turnout of about 20 to 25 percent among émigré Hungarians.”
Vote-Buying (Including Potatoes)
When all else is insufficient, there are claims of direct vote-buying. This practice is sometimes known as “Krumpliosztás” or potato distribution, as food is allegedly distributed in impoverished districts like Roma communities. In 2020, a far-right parliamentarian was fined for spilling a sack of potatoes on Orbán’s desk, effectively accusing him of vote-buying.
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