European Union citizens with at least temporary residence in the Czech Republic are eligible to vote in this year’s local elections on the 23rd and 24th of September.

Czech local elections are held every four years, allowing residents to select regional municipal councillors. In Prague, voters will have the chance to elect the new mayor as well as city councillors and members of the city’s district councils.

These elections have direct consequences on the day-to-day lives of Czech residents, directly influencing a host of local issues including decisions on transportation, urban development and tourism.

Foreigners voting for the first time should register at the local municipal office of their permanent residence to be added to the voter list.

Only adults aged 18 or above are eligible to vote.

On election day, voters will need to bring an ID card or passport to the polling station. Completed ballots will be placed in an envelope provided by the electoral commission and dropped in a sealed ballot box.

Czech municipal elections use a proportional electoral system, where each voter has as many votes as there are councillors – 65 in Prague – which can be distributed across candidates of all political parties.

Councillors will then be selected proportionally based on the number of votes given to each party.

Background

The Civic Democratic Party received the highest number of votes in the 2018 Prague municipal election but remained in opposition as a coalition was formed by the Czech Pirate Party, Prague Together, TOP 09 and Mayors and Independents. Zdeněk Hřib became the new mayor.