Hungary’s high-stakes vote hinges on math, ballots and a complex seat map
Hungary’s 2026 parliamentary election pits Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz against challenger Péter Magyar in a race where seats are decided by 199 total mandates: 106 constituency seats won outright and 93 nationwide party-list seats, with a 5% threshold (lower for nationality lists) and a D’Hondt calculation that even counts votes from constituencies toward party lists. Polls show Magyar ahead, but final seat shares depend on complex math and diaspora/postal ballots, which could swing a few seats; abroad voting patterns and a redrawn map add to the uncertainty. First results are expected around 8 p.m. local time, with full counting possibly taking up to a week.