Czechs voting in regional and Senate elections

Czechs go to the polls on Friday to cast their ballot in regional and Senate elections. Over 8,000 candidates are contesting seats on regional councils around the country, with the exception of Prague where councilors will be elected in municipal elections.

Elections to a third of the Senate take place every six years. Close to forty parties and movements have nominated 169 candidates for 27 seats in the upper chamber.

A second round of voting in the Senate elections will take place next weekend for contestants who fail to win more that 50 percent of the vote, with the two candidates with the highest number of votes from the first round advancing to the second.

Voting in the flood-hit regions of the country is going ahead in exceptionally difficult conditions. The Interior Ministry has been helping individual municipalities to cope by providing new ballot papers, power generators, and volunteers. In some of the worst affected areas polling stations have been replaced by tents.

Polling stations will be open on Friday from 2pm till 10 pm and on Saturday from 8 am to 2pm.