Senate and regional elections on track despite record floods
The elections to the Senate and regional councils, due to take place this weekend, remain on track despite the fact that many parts of the country are still recovering from the damage caused by the recent floods. The government is confident that voting can be organized even in the hardest-hit regions.
In a press briefing updating the nation on the state of the flooding and how they are affecting Czechia’s senate and regional elections, Minister of the Interior Vít Rakušan announced that the elections will continue as previously scheduled. He said a working group had been set up at the Interior Ministry to help ensure that the elections are held in a regular manner.
“We are doing everything to make the elections happen. We will help out if there are not enough people in the election commissions. Ballot papers are being printed in large amounts so that there are enough of them for all regions from the Olomouc Region to the Moravian-Silesian Region. There will certainly be enough of them.”
Mr. Rakušan expressed gratitude to the officials stepping in to fill the gaps in the election commissions. Agriculture Minister Marek Výborný encouraged 18-year-old students to join the commissions, noting that they would be free on Friday and could assist with overseeing the voting process.
Mr. Rakušan mentioned that the government is reaching out to mayors for updates on the number of operational polling stations. However, he refrained from disclosing how many stations were affected by the floods, stating that the situation would be clearer by Thursday. In extreme cases, firefighters or police officers may deliver portable ballot boxes to voters.
He emphasized the need to explore unconventional solutions, such as using transportable power sources where electricity is unavailable. In some areas, polling stations will be relocated, while others will have alternative stations set up.
Mr. Rakušan also suggested the possibility of two election commissions operating within a single polling station, each serving its own precinct.
He argued that holding the elections as scheduled presents a lower risk to the election’s legitimacy than declaring a state of emergency, which could be challenged in court.
“We have set up an info line that is designed to help those affected most by the floods. They will be able to get answers to all their questions. We are making a manual with advice on who to call and what to do that we will personally deliver to the regions. We will not wait until they call; we know which regions have been affected the most.”
Some have called for the postponement of the elections, however. For example, Tomáš Navrátil, mayor of flood-stricken Opava, had requested postponing the elections. On Tuesday, he expressed frustration with the government's decision, noting that some residents cut off by the floods may struggle to reach polling stations, while others have lost or damaged important documents.
