Main information
A political party, political movement or coalition that is running in elections to the European Parliament may withdraw any of its candidates.
It may do so only through its representative specified on the list of candidates.
Once delivered, a withdrawal cannot be retracted.
This applies to you if
You are a representative of a political party, political movement or coalition standing in the election.
When to use this service
You may withdraw a candidate by delivering a declaration to Ministry of the Interior no later than 48 hours before the election is held (i.e. by 2 p.m. on the Wednesday before election day). This deadline is essential to give the Ministry of the Interior time to inform voters and other electoral bodies.
The declaration must be delivered to the Ministry of the Interior by the given deadline. Posting it by this deadline is not sufficient.
On principle, a candidate may not be withdrawn until the list of candidates on which they are listed has been submitted to the Ministry of the Interior. Before the list of candidates is submitted, the representative simply does not list the candidate on the list.
Vyřízení služby - elektronicky
What you need if you are using this service
In the written application, please state
- the candidate’s first name,
- their surname,
- their date of birth,
- their permanent residential address (for foreign nationals, their residential address in Czechia),
- that you are the representative of the named political party / political movement / coalition, and
- that you are withdrawing a specific candidate from the list of candidates.
Where and how to solve this service
Deliver your request by data box or email with a recognised electronic signature. Deliver your request to the Ministry of the Interior, as the registration authority for elections to the European Parliament.
Ministry of the Interior’s data box ID: 6bnaawp
posta@mvcr.cz
How much will you pay
None
Vyřízení služby - osobně
What you need if you are using this service
For an application in person, you must provide
- proof of identity (in particular, a valid identity card or travel document).
In the written application, please state
- the candidate’s first name,
- their surname,
- their date of birth,
- their permanent residential address (for foreign nationals, their residential address in Czechia),
- that you are the representative of the named political party / political movement / coalition, and
- that you are withdrawing a specific candidate from the list of candidates, and
- your handwritten signature.
Where and how to solve this service
Either visit the Elections department of the Ministry of the Interior in person, or send the request to the Ministry of the Interior by post to the address:
Ministerstvo vnitra
Odbor voleb
How much will you pay
None
Additional information
What is the benefit of this service
The person who has withdrawn will no longer stand as a candidate in the election to the European Parliament.
Appeal options
No appeal options are available.
Legislation
Sanctions
None
Frequently asked questions
Can I retract a declaration to withdraw a candidate?
No. Once the declaration has been delivered to the Ministry of the Interior, it cannot be retracted.
Will the candidate’s name be listed on the ballot paper?
That depends on whether the withdrawal declaration was delivered to the Ministry of the Interior during the registration proceedings for the list of candidates or after the list was registered:
- before registration – the Ministry of the Interior will delete the candidate’s name from the list of candidates and will shift the order of the other candidates. The list of candidates will be registered without that candidate and their name will not be listed on the ballot paper.
- after registration – the list of candidates has already been registered, including the candidate’s name (at this point, the Ministry of the Interior can no longer change the ballot paper, and so the candidate will still be listed on it). However, the Ministry of the Interior will ensure that the declaration is posted in each polling station so that voters know that the candidate has withdrawn. Any votes cast for that candidate are not taken into account during the count (in other words, if a voter votes for the candidate, it has no consequences).
Where can I obtain more information?