Czechs abroad: August 24 deadline to register for first-ever postal voting
In a landmark shift, Czechia now allows its citizens living abroad to vote by mail. But to participate in the 2025 parliamentary elections, Czechast wants to remind expats that they must register by Sunday, August 24. As the country marks the anniversary of the 1968 invasion that once crushed its democratic hopes, this new right to vote from abroad carries special meaning.
For the first time in its democratic history, Czechia will allow its citizens abroad to vote by mail in the upcoming parliamentary elections. The reform, passed in 2023, is now active—but Czech expats must act quickly: the deadline to register is Sunday, August 24, 2025.
In this renewed episode of Czechast, we revisit the personal stories behind the change. For many in the global Czech diaspora, the new law is more than a bureaucratic improvement—it’s a powerful recognition of their voice and place in Czech society.
Julie O’Donovan, a Czech-American living in Oregon, returned to her family’s home near the Giant Mountains—Podkrkonoší—when she spoke with Czechast.
“It’s not about who you vote for, but about the ability to vote,” she says. “Just make it possible.” Julie is part of a broader community of Czech expats who advocated for mail-in voting as a matter of principle—not partisanship.
Marta McCabe, who lives in North Carolina, says the change speaks to a deeper sense of national connection.
“It’s about belonging,” she explains. “We, Czechs living abroad, still feel part of the Czech Republic. And now the Czech Republic reaches out to us, too.” Political scientist Petr Just, who teaches at Metropolitan University in Prague, believes this kind of civic initiative strengthens the country’s democratic institutions.
“From my perspective, I can only applaud this kind of engagement,” he says. “It led to a very positive outcome.”
The timing adds emotional weight. This month, Czechs commemorate the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion, which violently ended the Prague Spring and imposed two decades of authoritarian rule. Free and fair elections were not only impossible, they were unthinkable. Today, the ability to vote—even from abroad—is something that would have been unimaginable in the aftermath of 1968. And now, thanks to years of quiet advocacy, it’s a reality.
Whether in Europe, America, or elsewhere, Czech citizens now have more than just a passport—they finally have a postal ballot, too.
To learn how to register for postal voting, visit mzv.cz or contact your nearest Czech embassy or consulate. Deadline: August 24.
Listen to the full episode of Czechast wherever you get your podcasts, or at radio.cz. Have feedback or ideas? Write us at [email protected].
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Czechast, Radio Prague International
Czechast is a regular RPI podcast about Czech and Moravian culture, history, and economy.
