Elections of representatives to the Croatian Parliament
Representatives to the Croatian Parliament are elected by direct, secret vote. Their mandate lasts for four years. The representative mandate is not imperative and is not revocable.
Regular elections for the representatives for the Croatian Parliament are held every four years. The President of the Republic calls for the election.
Voters and polling stations
Croatian citizens of the Republic of Croatia aged eighteen years have the right to vote on these elections. Croatian citizens aged eighteen years or older may stand for the election to an office of representative, regardless of their place of residence. Elections shall be conducted at polling stations in the territory of the Republic of Croatia and at diplomatic missions and consulates of the Republic of Croatia abroad.
Voters having permanent residence in the Republic of Croatia serving in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia on the date of the election, voters who are in peace missions and operations on the date of the election, voters who are crew-members on sea and river vessels carrying the Croatian flag outside the borders of the Republic of Croatia, on watercrafts in inland sea waters and in the territorial waters of the Republic of Croatia, voters housed in social care facilities and voters deprived of their freedom, vote at special polling stations determined in accordance with the provisions of the Act on the Elections of representatives to the Croatian Parliament.
Candidature
Lists for the election of representatives may be proposed independently by one political party or by two or more political parties which are registered in the Republic of Croatia (coalition list) on the day the Decision to call the elections is announced or by voters. Voters shall propose candidate lists on the basis of at least 500 validly collected signatures. Proposal of the list of candidates or candidates must be received by the State Electoral Commission at least within 14 days of the day on which the decision to call elections enters into force.
In accordance with the Constitutional Act on the Rights of National Minorities, national minorities which are appropriately represented in the total population of the Republic of Croatia shall have the right to elect eight representatives to the Croatian Parliament, which are elected in a separate (XII) electoral district. Political parties registered in the Republic of Croatia, voters and associations of national minorities shall have the right to propose candidates for the representatives of the national minorities and their deputies. Candidates are proposed on the basis of at least 100 validly collected signatures.
Electoral bodies
Bodies carrying out these elections are: the State Electoral Commission of the Republic of Croatian, electoral commissions of electoral constituencies, municipal electoral commissions, city electoral commissions and electoralcommitees..
Election campaign
The election campaign starts as of the day of announcing a list of candidates, and stops 24h before the Election Day. On the day before the election and on Election Day, until the closing of the polling station at 7 p.m., it is not allowed to conduct the election campaign or to publish premature results or any evaluation of results of the election.
Electoral districts
The electoral districts are stipulated by a special act. 14 representatives are elected from ten electoral districts. Voters that do not have a place of residence in the Republic of Croatia elect 3 representatives in separate (XI) electoral district. National minorities which present in the total population of the Republic of Croatia are entitled to 8 representatives in the Croatian Parliament, which are elected for a separate (XII) electoral district. Representatives of the I - XI electoral district are elected by proportional election method and preferential voting.
Voting
Voters may vote for only one candidate list on the ballot, and also may mark one candidate that has the advantage over the other candidates on the list for which he voted. (preferential vote)
Representatives of the XII electoral district are elected by majority electoral system.
Results
Results for constituencies from I to X
The right to participate in the division of representative seats in an electoral constituency shall be exercised by those slates that win at least 5% of the valid ballots cast at the elections.
The number of representatives to the Parliament elected from each electoral constituency slate shall be determined as follows:
The right to participate in the division of representative seats in an electoral constituency shall be exercised by those slates that win at least 5% of the valid ballots cast at the elections.
The number of representatives to the Parliament to be elected from candidate slates in the special electoral constituency for voters without residence in the Republic of Croatia shall be ascertained as follows:
Members of national minorities elect representatives to the Parliament by individual election such that the elected representative shall be the candidate who has won the greatest number of votes cast. If two or more candidates win the same number of votes, the election shall be repeated.
The Ethics Commission
The Ethics Commission, appointed by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia, evaluates the conduct of participants in the elections during election campaign promotion and the election procedure itself, and conducts the extra-administrative oversight of election campaigns.
Electoral campaign financing
Electoral campaign financing is regulated by the Political Activity, Election Campaign and Referenda Financing Act.
Previous elections of representatives to the Croatian Parliament
Regular elections for the representatives for the Croatian Parliament are held every four years. The President of the Republic calls for the election.
Voters and polling stations
Croatian citizens of the Republic of Croatia aged eighteen years have the right to vote on these elections. Croatian citizens aged eighteen years or older may stand for the election to an office of representative, regardless of their place of residence. Elections shall be conducted at polling stations in the territory of the Republic of Croatia and at diplomatic missions and consulates of the Republic of Croatia abroad.
Voters having permanent residence in the Republic of Croatia serving in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia on the date of the election, voters who are in peace missions and operations on the date of the election, voters who are crew-members on sea and river vessels carrying the Croatian flag outside the borders of the Republic of Croatia, on watercrafts in inland sea waters and in the territorial waters of the Republic of Croatia, voters housed in social care facilities and voters deprived of their freedom, vote at special polling stations determined in accordance with the provisions of the Act on the Elections of representatives to the Croatian Parliament.
Candidature
Lists for the election of representatives may be proposed independently by one political party or by two or more political parties which are registered in the Republic of Croatia (coalition list) on the day the Decision to call the elections is announced or by voters. Voters shall propose candidate lists on the basis of at least 500 validly collected signatures. Proposal of the list of candidates or candidates must be received by the State Electoral Commission at least within 14 days of the day on which the decision to call elections enters into force.
In accordance with the Constitutional Act on the Rights of National Minorities, national minorities which are appropriately represented in the total population of the Republic of Croatia shall have the right to elect eight representatives to the Croatian Parliament, which are elected in a separate (XII) electoral district. Political parties registered in the Republic of Croatia, voters and associations of national minorities shall have the right to propose candidates for the representatives of the national minorities and their deputies. Candidates are proposed on the basis of at least 100 validly collected signatures.
Electoral bodies
Bodies carrying out these elections are: the State Electoral Commission of the Republic of Croatian, electoral commissions of electoral constituencies, municipal electoral commissions, city electoral commissions and electoralcommitees..
Election campaign
The election campaign starts as of the day of announcing a list of candidates, and stops 24h before the Election Day. On the day before the election and on Election Day, until the closing of the polling station at 7 p.m., it is not allowed to conduct the election campaign or to publish premature results or any evaluation of results of the election.
Electoral districts
The electoral districts are stipulated by a special act. 14 representatives are elected from ten electoral districts. Voters that do not have a place of residence in the Republic of Croatia elect 3 representatives in separate (XI) electoral district. National minorities which present in the total population of the Republic of Croatia are entitled to 8 representatives in the Croatian Parliament, which are elected for a separate (XII) electoral district. Representatives of the I - XI electoral district are elected by proportional election method and preferential voting.
Voting
Voters may vote for only one candidate list on the ballot, and also may mark one candidate that has the advantage over the other candidates on the list for which he voted. (preferential vote)
Representatives of the XII electoral district are elected by majority electoral system.
Results
Results for constituencies from I to X
The right to participate in the division of representative seats in an electoral constituency shall be exercised by those slates that win at least 5% of the valid ballots cast at the elections.
The number of representatives to the Parliament elected from each electoral constituency slate shall be determined as follows:
- the total number of valid votes that each slate won (slate voter pool) is to be divided by the numerals from 1 to 14 conclusively, also taking into account the decimal places. Of all the results yielded, representative seats in the Parliament shall be won by those slates with the 14 numerically greatest results, decimal places included. Each of these slates shall win a number of representative seats in the Parliament corresponding to the number of individual results among the 14 numerically greatest results. The number of representatives elected from the slate shall be the number of mandates won by such slate,
- preferred votes for individual candidates are taken into account if the number of preferred votes of a particular candidate is at least 10% of the votes won by a particular slate,
- candidates elected from each slate are those who win the greatest number of preferred votes. Where two or more candidates win the same number of preferred votes, the deciding factor shall be the order on the candidate slate,
- if the number of representatives elected is not the number of mandates belonging to a particular slate, representatives are assigned to the remaining positions on such slate based on the order on the slate.
The right to participate in the division of representative seats in an electoral constituency shall be exercised by those slates that win at least 5% of the valid ballots cast at the elections.
The number of representatives to the Parliament to be elected from candidate slates in the special electoral constituency for voters without residence in the Republic of Croatia shall be ascertained as follows:
- the total number of valid votes that each slate won (slate voter pool) is to be divided by the numerals from 1 to 3 conclusively, also taking into account the decimal places. Of all the sums obtained, the third sum shall be the common denominator with which the total number of valid votes for each candidate slate (slate voter pool) shall be divided. Each candidate slate shall win as many of the three representative seats as the number of times the total number of its valid votes (slate voter pool) contains the common denominator, including decimal remainders,
- preferred votes for individual candidates are taken into account if the number of preferred votes of a particular candidate is at least 10% of the votes won by a particular slate,
- candidates elected from each slate are those who win the greatest number of preferred votes. Where two or more candidates win the same number of preferred votes, the deciding factor shall be the order on the candidate slate,
- if the number of representatives elected is not the number of mandates belonging to a particular slate, representatives are assigned to the remaining positions on such slate based on the order on the slate
Members of national minorities elect representatives to the Parliament by individual election such that the elected representative shall be the candidate who has won the greatest number of votes cast. If two or more candidates win the same number of votes, the election shall be repeated.
The Ethics Commission
The Ethics Commission, appointed by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Croatia, evaluates the conduct of participants in the elections during election campaign promotion and the election procedure itself, and conducts the extra-administrative oversight of election campaigns.
Electoral campaign financing
Electoral campaign financing is regulated by the Political Activity, Election Campaign and Referenda Financing Act.
Previous elections of representatives to the Croatian Parliament