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Irregularities in #Hungary 2019 parliamentary and local elections discovered

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One year after the European Parliamentary elections we are releasing our latest findings into the 2019 EP elections held on 26th May and local elections on 13 October in Hungary, writes Unhack Democracy.

The summary is based on 851 ballot counters’ testimonies gathered via a 42-question online survey, and 50 subsequent face-to-face interviews across 15 counties in Hungary. Despite repeated efforts, Unhack received only 5 online questionnaires from the ruling party Fidesz, and therefore the following findings are predominantly based on opposition ballot counters’ testimonies.

Building on our year-long investigation into the 2018 parliamentary election, which drew on 170 testimonies (including 60 face to face interviews). Unhack Democracy can now reveal with over 1020 testimonies across 3 elections (2018 parliamentary, 2019 EP & local) that there has been a systematic erosion of the country’s electoral integrity.

Following Freedom House’s recent downgrading of Hungary to a “hybrid-regime” on account of declining standards in democracy that includes the integrity of elections, Unhack Democracy has identified clearly persistent and concerning trends, including intimidating ballot counters, the threatening of elderly voters in care homes, vote buying, organised bussing of phantom voters and questions around the credibility of voter logs (also known as protocols).

The value of the report lies in the 851 personal testimonies that gives you an insight into the real-life challenges ballot counters face through examples of irregularities and outright fraud in polling stations on election day.

Here is the summary of the key findings in numbers:

  • 40.5% of European Parliament (EP) and 37.2% of local election ballot counters reported that they did not have trust in the fairness of the election process.
  • 10.9% of EP and 17.8% of local election ballot counting party delegates acknowledged that they did not record irregularities in their precinct: including vote-buying, intimidation of ballot counters, influencing voters and officials using mobile phones inside the polling station.
  • 8.8% of EP and 7.8% of local election ballot counters reported some irregularity with the processing and handling of mobile ballot box votes, for people who are physically unable to come to the polling station on election day. The recurring complaint was that the elderly, often inert patients, were influenced, pressured and registered for mobile ballot voting without their consent to vote for Fidesz, especially in care homes.
  • 12% of local election respondents reported they witnessed illegal on-the-phone mobilisation of voters, with the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (TASZ) warning voter data is being harvested illegally by some parties.
  • Four ballot counters reported phantom voters being bussed to cast their ballots during the 2019 EP and local elections.
  • 10.1% of the party delegates during the EP elections and 11.6% of the local elections reported that they were suspicious of or witnessed vote buying in exchange for cash or public benefits in their precinct. The testimonies underline our concerns about expanding networks of voter-clientelism in Hungary.
  • Following the European Parliamentary elections 74.2% of respondents reported that their delegating parties requested the copy of the voter log (protocol) from them and asked for their feedback. After the local elections this figure rose to 76.4%.
  • Unhack Democracy’s team has found 3 precincts where ballot counters were asked to sign blank voter logs (protocols) in advance of the count.
  • 9.1% of EP and 14.9% of local election ballot counters surveyed said they had a negative view of the work done by the Committee chair. Respondents highlighted their hostile attitude, a lack of impartiality and poor knowledge of the rules by municipal designates (chair, deputy), which in some cases also involved stigmatisation and threatening of opposition ballot counters.
  • 8% of the EP and 9% of the local election’s ballot counters experienced irregularities while the results were being processed. 4 ballot counters reported that they had been informed about the failure of the National Election Software following the count.
  • 52% respondents of the EP elections and 45% of local elections surveyed were over 65 years old. It is in every nominating organisation’s interest to have physically and mentally fit delegates who can withstand the minimum 14 to 15 hour gruelling election day’s challenges.
  • The opposition failed to recruit ballot counters in 24.5% of the 10,277 precincts at the EP elections and in 17% of the 10,278 precincts of the local elections. While the core base of ballot counters is aging, it is proving more challenging for the opposition to recruit volunteers because people, especially in rural areas, fear retaliation in a co-dependent system. Furthermore, the parties do not prioritise ballot counting and people are less willing to commit to a minimum 14 hour day to work for free.
Recommendations

With our work we want to continue to bring attention to the challenges the inadequate administration of elections poses to Hungary’s democractic processes. In February 2020 we outlined five  policy recommendations written together with The German Marshall Fund of the United States in Europe’s Electoral Integrity Must Be Defended from Internal Threats that address the electoral aspect of the rule-of-law crisis in Hungary and the European Union:

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The five key policy recommendations are the following:

  1. The European Commission should extend the scope of the European Democracy Action Plan to cover the internal dimensions of threats to democratic electoral systems.
  2. The European Commission should closely coordinate EU and OSCE observation missions.
  3. Allow civic election observation in all EU member states.
  4. Organise full OSCE/ODIHR observation missions in member states that are subject to the Article 7 procedure.
  5. The European Commission should also pay greater attention to electoral watchdog and civic education NGOs as well as to education about election-related skills in its Citizens for Europe program.

Our independent investigation into Hungary’s elections is thanks to the Unhack Democracy team's persistent volunteer work and financial contribution.

About Unhack Democracy 

Comprised of experts in data science, security, political strategy and communication Unhack Democracy aims to empower citizens by giving them the tools and know-how to monitor their own elections and protect democratic institutions from state interference.

Unhack Democracy’s investigation into the April 2018 Hungarian Parliamentary elections received widespread international converge across 5 continents and 8 languages. In December 2019, members of the Unhack team presented their findings and recommendations to the European Parliament.

Unhack Democracy is a registered non-profit in Belgium.

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