Home > 1.6.2 Second round of voting > CZECH REPUBLIC - Constitution
 
 
 
Download file    
 
 
Article 56
 

(1) The election of President shall be held in the form of a secret ballot based on the general, equal and direct voting right.


(2) The candidate having received more than a half majority of valid votes of rightful voters is elected for the office of the President of the Republic. In the event of absence of such a candidate a second electoral round should be held 14 days after commencement of the first electoral round which the two most successful candidates from the first electoral round proceed onto. Should the candidates receive equal number of votes, all candidates having received the plurality of votes of rightful voters shall proceed onto the second electoral round and should there not be at least two such candidates, also candidates having received the second highest number of votes of rightful voters shall proceed onto the second electoral round.


(3) The candidate having received the plurality of votes of rightful voters in the second round of the election. Shall there be more of such candidates, the President of the Republic is not elected and a new election of President of the Republic is held within 10 days.


(4) Shall the candidate who proceeded onto the second round of the election cease to be eligible for office of the President of the Republic or shall such candidate waive his right to stand as a candidate for the office of the President of the Republic, the candidate having received the subsequent highest number of votes of rightful voters in the first electoral round shall proceed onto the second round of the election. The second round of election is held even if there is only one candidate who proceeds onto the second electoral round.


(5) Each and every citizen of the Czech Republic who has reached the age of 18 years is entitled to nominate a candidate provided that such a nomination is supported by a petition signed by at least 50.000 citizens of the Czech Republic who are entitled to vote for the President of the Republic. A candidate can be nominated by at least twenty Deputies or by at least ten Senators.


(6) Every citizen of the Czech Republic having reached the age of 18 has the right to vote.


(7) Presidential election takes place within the last sixty days of the office of the incumbent President, however, 30 days prior to the expiration of the term of the office of the incumbent President of the Republic. Shall the office of the President become vacant, the election of the President is held within ninety days.


(8) The election of the President is announced by the President of the Senate ninety days prior to holding the election at the latest. Should the office of the President become vacant, the President of the Senate of the Czech Republic shall announce the election of the President ten days prior to holding such election at the latest and simultaneously eighty days prior to holding such election.


(9) Shall the office of the President of the Senate be vacant the election of the President shall be announced by the President of the Chamber of Deputies.