Dead people and unwitting voters used on recommendation sheets ahead of Hungarian parliamentary elections

As Hungary approaches its 2026 parliamentary elections, a growing number of voters are discovering that their personal data – and even the names of deceased relatives – have been misused on official candidate recommendation sheets without their knowledge or consent.

EUalive’s partner investigative outlet Átlátszó has documented dozens of such cases in the final stretch of the campaign, revealing a systemic pattern of falsified endorsements that exploits the current electoral rules.

Under Hungary’s post-2010 electoral system, parties and individual candidates must collect at least 500 valid recommendation signatures (on so-called ajánlóívek) to appear on the ballot. These sheets grant access to significant public campaign funding – ranging from 680 million to over 1 billion forints (approx. €1.7–2.5 million) depending on the number of candidates fielded. The system has created strong financial incentives for abuse, including the mass production of fake signatures using stolen or recycled personal data.

After Átlátszó published an article explaining how anyone can check their own data on the government’s online portal, dozens of readers came forward with evidence. Many found their names listed as supporters of candidates and parties they had never heard of, sometimes backing multiple candidates – including from opposing political sides – across different counties. In one case, a reader named Norbert (name changed) discovered he had been listed for two unknown candidates despite having moved out of the relevant county years earlier. “In theory, a signature is required for a recommendation, and that definitely didn’t happen. We don’t even know who these people are,” he told Átlátszó.

Even more disturbing are cases involving the dead. Several readers reported that long-deceased spouses appeared on recommendation sheets. Others found their data, including sensitive personal identification numbers, used on sheets for parties with little or no genuine support.

In Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county’s Nagyecsed, locals have reportedly been offered 5,000 forints (about €12) in exchange for their personal data and ID copies – including those of children under 16 – raising fears of organised data harvesting for both fake recommendations and potential voter fraud schemes.

Átlátszó identified at least 21 candidates whose recommendation sheets contain clearly falsified entries. The list includes politicians from various parties, such as:

Fidesz–KDNP (Béla Dankó in Békés)
Jobbik Mi Hazánk (Our Homeland)
Normális Élet Pártja (Normal Life Party, led by anti-vaccine activist György Gődény — which stands out for the high number of suspicious cases

The phenomenon is not new. Similar large-scale abuses were documented in 2018 and 2022, with databases recycled from as far back as a 2009 referendum. In 2018, Transparency International and Political Capital estimated that sham parties alone absorbed around 3 billion forints in public funds through such practices.

The National Police Headquarters confirmed to Átlátszó that 80 criminal proceedings have already been launched in connection with the current campaign: 42 for misuse of private documents, 2 for misuse of personal data, and 36 for crimes against electoral integrity. However, past elections have shown that investigations are slow, invalidation procedures are cumbersome, and convictions remain rare.

Critics argue that the current system – which lacks real-time signature verification and offers limited legal remedies – fails to deter industrial-scale fraud. While the online checking tool has made abuses more visible, it has not solved the underlying problem: the combination of easy access to personal data and generous public funding continues to reward those willing to bend or break the rules.

As new cases emerge daily and the campaign intensifies, the scandals once again raise serious questions about the integrity of Hungary’s nomination and campaign financing system ahead of the 12 April vote.

The original article by EUalive’s partner Átlátszó can be found here.

Caption: AI-generated image to illustrate personal data misuse in Hungary