Polling stations across Hungary officially closed at 7:00 p.m. local time on Sunday, April 12, following an election day marked by unprecedented voter mobilization.
Participation was particularly high in strategic regions. Both Budapest and the surrounding Pest County reported identical turnout rates of 80.96% by 6:30 p.m. The highest participation was recorded in the Győr-Moson-Sopron district at 81.9%, followed closely by Vas County at 81.5%.
The record activity coincides with two final pre-election surveys published by BBC that project a decisive victory for the opposition Tisza party, led by Peter Magyar. A poll by Median suggests Tisza could receive 57.1% of the vote, potentially securing 135 seats in the 199-member National Assembly – surpassing the 133 seats required for a two-thirds majority. The 21 Research Centre predicts a similar outcome with 55% of the vote and 132 seats for the opposition.
In contrast, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party is projected to receive between 37% and 38% of the vote. While these figures are based on surveys conducted between April 7 and April 11 rather than exit polls, they indicate a major challenge to the incumbent government.
Hungarians are electing 199 members of the unicameral National Assembly: 106 through single-member constituencies and 93 via party lists. The party or coalition that secures a majority will earn the mandate to form a government for the next four years.
The high-stakes election has drawn global attention, with US President Donald Trump publicly endorsing Orban, while European leaders monitor the potential for a pro-European shift in Budapest. As counting begins across more than 10,000 locations, the first official results are expected to emerge shortly, determining whether Orban will secure a fifth consecutive term or if Magyar’s movement will successfully achieve its promised “system change.”