The most recent election results, at 81,49 percent of ballots counted
Data from polling stations continues to arrive; with 81,49 percent of the votes counted, the Tisza Party holds a comfortable two-thirds lead. Here's a brief overview of the key figures at this point:
- “Prime Minister Viktor Orbán just called to congratulate us on our victory,” Péter Magyar posted on his Facebook page at 9:11 p.m.
- Viktor Orbán later conceded defeat at Fidesz’s election eve event. He said the result was painful but unambiguous. Now that the burden of governing no longer weighs on their shoulders, they will work on strengthening their community.
- The Tisza Party has a lead in 94 individual constituencies. Péter Magyar’s party has even won in counties that have long been strongholds of Fidesz, such as Bács-Kiskun, Somogy, and Zala.
- As things stand, they could win as many as 137 seats, which would easily constitute a two-thirds, constitutional majority.
- Fidesz is projected to win only 11 individual constituencies. Four years ago, they won in 87 constituencies.
- Justice Minister Bence Tuzson, government spokesperson Eszter Vitályos, and András Tállai—who has been the Member of Parliament for Mezőkövesd since 1998—may lose their seats in Parliament.
- The Democratic Coalition and the Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party (MKKP) are far from the 5 percent threshold for entering parliament; for the Dogs, even reaching 1 percent is questionable. This is important because if they fall below 1 percent, they must repay the state campaign funding.
- Voter turnout is at a historic high. By 6:30 p.m., 77.80 percent of eligible voters—5.856 million citizens—had cast their ballots. Four years ago, turnout was 67.8 percent half an hour before the polls closed, and 70.21 percent for the entire day. Since the change of regime, the highest turnout to date was in 2002, when turnout was 73.51 percent. The full turnout figures will not be known until several days from now.
- Votes cast at diplomatic missions and through re-registration, as well as mail-in ballots cast at diplomatic missions, will be tallied by April 18, so we will have to wait a bit longer for 100 percent of the votes to be processed.