“It’s actually very simple”: How EU citizens can vote in Czechia’s local elections
In a fortnight’s time, voters will be going to the polls in Czechia in local and Senate elections. Many EU citizens resident in the country may be unaware they can also take part in the former – and that’s something the group Volby pro všechny (Votes for Everybody) are working to change.
Only two weeks remain until elections take place in Czech municipalities and for one-third of the seats in the Senate.
Going by recent numbers, however, not many EU citizens living in the country will exercise their right to vote in local polls.
Suzanne Verhaar, a Dutch woman living in Prague since 2020, is from a group called Volby pro všechny (Votes for Everybody).
“We did freedom of information in January 2026 and we asked all the city districts how many EU voters were on their annex – on the voter list – and it was around 1,800, total, whereas the Ministry [of the Interior] told us that there are over 58,000 EU citizens registered in the city. So 1,800 out of 58,000. That’s less than 3 percent, unfortunately.”
Registering is not compulsory, so the real number of EU citizens may be considerably higher.
Ben Curtis is from the United States so can’t vote himself, though he does have permanent residence – and is planning to acquire Czech citizenship ASAP.
And Curtis, a co-founder of Volby pro všechny, is keen to make foreigners from EU states aware of how easy it is for them to participate in elections in their municipalities.
“It’s actually very simple this year, thankfully. You have to have your residence registered. To do that you follow the Ministry of the Interior’s regulations. But if you have registered residence, then you should have your residence permit. And the easy part is now on election days, October 9 and 10, you bring your national ID and you bring your residence permit and you say, Put me on the voter rolls – and you’re good to go.”
Less than half of eligible voters took part in the last local elections in Czechia four years ago.
What’s more, many “internationals” may reside in this country only temporarily and have no interest in, or knowledge of, politics in their local area.
So what arguments would Suzanne Verhaar use on those of them from the EU?
“First of all, you pay your taxes here. And you encounter local politics every day. When you’re on the street and there’s rubbish on the ground, when you take public transport, when you’re stuck in traffic – all of that is local politics. We’re always focused on national politics, as in, that’s deciding our fate. But our everyday lives are so much decided by local politicians, by our neighbours who can vote.”
EU citizens living in Czechia who have temporary or permanent residence (or Czech citizenship) can also vote in European Parliament elections.
