Voting card for the European Parliament elections

Main information

A voter who does not wish to, or cannot vote at his own polling station can apply for a voting card.

With a voting card you can vote at any polling station throughout the Czech republic.

This applies to you if

If you are a voter who does not wish to, or cannot vote at your own polling station (i.e. at the polling station in your place of residence), you can apply for a voting card.

A voter in the European Parliament elections is:

• a citizen of the Czech Republic who has reached the age of 18 by one of the election days,
• a citizen of another EU Member State who
  • has reached the age of 18 by one of the election days, and
  • is registered for permanent or temporary residence in the Czech Republic at least 45 days before election day.

When to use this service

You may apply for a voting card in writing or in person from the day the election is announced:

• a written application must be received no later than 7 days before election day (i.e. the week before the election on Friday by 16.00)
• may be applied for in person at the latest 2 days before election day (i.e. on the Wednesday by 16.00).

Vyřízení služby - elektronicky

What you need if you are using this service

In the written application, state your

• name,
• surname,
• date of birth,
• permanent residence address (in the case of foreign nationals, the address of registered permanent or temporary residence in the Czech Republic)
• address for delivery of the voting card,
• and state that you are applying for a voting card for the European Parliament elections.

You can use the application form, which is always available here after the election date is announced in the Collection of Laws, along with other information about the elections.

Where and how to solve this service

You can send your application to the municipal office:

• via the Citizen portal or
• data mailbox.

To submit your application via the Citizen Portal, you must first connect your data mailbox to the Citizen Portal. Instructions can be found on the Public Administration Portal website. Once connected, all you need to do is fill in the additional information in the pre-filled form and submit your application. The card will be sent to your permanent residence address or you can pick it up at the municipal office.

Submit the application to the municipal office at your permanent residence in the Czech Republic (in the case of foreign nationals, the address of registered permanent or temporary residence in the Czech Republic). In Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Plzeň, Ústí nad Labem, Pardubice, Opava and Liberec at the office of your city district.

Contacts for individual offices are available here.

Voters registered in the special electoral register at an embassy must apply for their voting card at their embassy.

Vyřízení služby - osobně

What you need if you are using this service

For an application in person you must provide your proof of identity (in particular a valid identity card or travel document).

In the written application, state your

• name,
• surname,
• date of birth,
• permanent residence address (in the case of foreign nationals, the address of registered permanent or temporary residence in the Czech Republic),
• address for delivery of the voting card,
• and state that you are applying for a voting card for the European Parliament elections.

The application must bear an officially verified signature.

You can use the application form, which is always available here after the election date is announced in the Collection of Laws, along with other information about the elections.

Where and how to solve this service

Submit the application to the municipal office at your permanent residence (in the case of foreign nationals, the address of registered permanent or temporary residence in the Czech Republic).

In Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Plzeň, Ústí nad Labem, Pardubice, Opava and Liberec at the office of your city district.

The submitted written application must contain the officially verified signature of the voter.

Voters registered in the special electoral register at an embassy must apply for their voting card at their embassy.

Additional information

What is the benefit of this service

With a voting card, you are not limited to vote at your place of residence. You can choose to vote at any polling station throughout the Czech Republic.

All you need to do is to come to your chosen polling station on one of the election days and present your voting card.

Appeal options

You may file a complaint about the procedure for processing your voting card at the municipal office where you applied for the voting card.

If you are subsequently not satisfied with the processing of the complaint at the municipal office, you can file a complaint with the regional office.

Frequently asked questions

Can I vote abroad using my voting card?

No. The European Parliament elections for the Czech Republic do not take place abroad.

More information on voting by voters located abroad can be found here: I am a citizen of the Czech Republic and reside abroad. Can I vote?.

When will I receive my voting card?

The municipal office and embassy may hand over or send a voting card to the voter no earlier than 15 days before election day.

Can someone else apply for a voting card in my place?

No. When an application is submitted, the municipal office must quite clearly identify that it is you who is applying for the voting card.

Otherwise, anyone (e.g. including with your power of attorney) could apply for a voting card on your behalf, thus preventing you from voting.

Can someone else collect a voting card in my place?

Yes. An authorised person must prove his power of attorney with your verified signature.

How do I vote with a voting card?

Choose any polling station (for example, the one closest to your current location on election day).

At the polling station, present the voting card to the electoral commission together with your proof of identity.

The electoral commission will retain the voting card and issue you the ballots together with an official envelope.

Otherwise, the same rules apply to voters using a voting card as to other voters.

What should I do if my voting card has been lost, stolen or was not delivered?

In this case, you cannot vote.

In order to avoid double voting, it is not possible for more than one voting card to be issued to one person.

In practice, the authorities have no way of verifying that the voter does not actually have the original voting card.

The rules and their interpretation are set uniformly for all voters and are intended to prevent any possibility of double voting in elections.

Where can I find more information?

On the Ministerstva vnitra website.

You can submit individual questions to your municipal office, relevant regional office or the elections department of the Ministry of the Interior (volby@mv.gov.cz).