The State Secretary for Nation Policy urged the participation of Hungarians beyond the borders in the referendum of 2 October against forced resettlement at his press conference held in Budapest on Tuesday.
János Árpád Potápi said that the main message of the referendum is the same for the entire Hungarian nation, wherever they may live: forced resettlement is a threat to Hungary, and to the future of the entire Hungarian nation.
He also pointed out that the pressure of migration – which Hungary itself experienced first hand last year – is particularly perceivable for the Hungarian communities living in Vojvodina and in the Lendva region. The State Secretary drew attention to the fact that Hungarians beyond the borders may register for voting in one of two ways: by mail or online. At the same time, due to the brevity of time, he recommended online registration to everyone who has not yet done so and intends to cast their votes.
He added: the deadline for the submission of requests for entry in the electoral register of Hungarian nationals with no registered residence in Hungary is 17 September, while the deadline for the posting of votes cast by mail is 11.59 p.m. on 1 October for Hungarians beyond the borders. He stressed: the country’s foreign representations are well prepared for the referendum.
Mr Potápi said that 266,453 persons have been entered in the electoral register up to Tuesday. 161,314 persons were registered in the electoral register in the Carpathian Basin, 116,335 in Romania, 30,207 in Serbia and 12,579 in the countries which prohibit dual citizenship.
7,454 registrations have been received in total from scattered Hungarian communities world-wide. 2,209 of these from Germany, 936 from the United States, 718 from Canada, 606 from Switzerland, and 476 from Australia.