Elections in the Czech Republic

All elections in the Czech Republic are based on the principle of universal suffrage.

Any adult citizen who is at least 18 years old can vote, except those who have been stripped of their legal capacities by a court, usually on the basis of mental illness.

The proportional representation system uses the Sainte-Laguë method for allocating seats.

Any citizen aged 40 or over can stand for president, unless they have already served two terms in the office or have been found guilty of treason by the Constitutional Court.

Any citizen aged 21 or over can stand as a candidate for the Chamber of Deputies, which consists of 200 members elected for four-year terms.

There are 14 voting districts for elections to the Chamber of Deputies, which correspond to the regions of the Czech Republic.

After the elections, the president nominates somebody (usually the head of the winning party) to form a new Cabinet.

Elections are held every two years, with one third of Senate seats contested each time.

Any citizen aged 21 or over can represent the Czech Republic as a member of the European Parliament.

The government of the Czech Republic approved a referendum bill in 2005,[3] but it was never passed by the parliament.