Polling stations across Hungary closed at 8 p.m. on Sunday after a day of voting that shattered the country's all-time turnout record. Some 77.8% of eligible voters cast their ballots - surpassing the previous record set in 2002, which was broken two hours before polls even closed.
As Hvylya reports, voting took place at 10,047 polling stations across 3,154 municipalities and 23 districts of Budapest.
Hungarians are electing 199 members of parliament - 106 through single-member constituencies and 93 via party lists. The final vote count must be completed by April 18, but first results from polling stations are expected between 9 and 10 p.m. Kyiv time.
The central drama of this election is the showdown between Prime Minister Orban's ruling Fidesz and Peter Magyar's opposition Tisza party. The last pre-election poll by 21 Research Center, conducted April 8-11, projected Tisza winning 132 seats - just one vote short of a constitutional supermajority.
The Clean Elections watchdog, affiliated with the Civil Liberties Union, reported several irregularities during voting. A ruling party lawmaker was seen handing out packages to voters, the same cars repeatedly showed up at certain polling stations, and in a prison in the town of Tokel, Tisza supporters were denied a ballot box.
Meanwhile, a massive electronic music party erupted outside the Hungarian parliament building in Budapest. Correspondents on the scene said it was not a political event.