Local elections
Local elections in general
According to the Local Elections Act (Official Gazette Nos. 144/12, 121/16, 98/19, 42/20, 144/20 and 37/21), local elections relate to
According to the Local Elections Act (Official Gazette Nos. 144/12, 121/16, 98/19, 42/20, 144/20 and 37/21), local elections relate to
- elections of members of representative bodies of units of local and regional self-government,
- elections of municipality heads, mayors and county prefects and deputies of mayors and county prefects, as well as
- elections for deputies of municipality heads, mayors and county prefects from among members of national minorities or from among members of Croatian people.
The Government of the Republic of Croatia calls the elections and they are held on the third Sunday in May every four years. Next local elections will be held on 18th May 2025.
Right to vote in local elections have all Croatian citizens over the age of eighteen residing in the territory of local and regional self-government in which the elections take place. Nationals of the European Union Member States, residing either permanently or temporarily in the unit holding the election, have the right to vote for members of the representative body of that unit and to stand as a candidate for members of the representative body of that unit, according to special legislation.
Lists of candidates and candidacies must be received by the competent electoral commission within 14 days of the day the resolution to call the elections came into force.
Bodies conducting elections are the State Electoral Commission of the Republic of Croatia, Electoral Commission of the City of Zagreb, county, city and municipal electoral commissions as well as electoral committees.
The election campaign is a group of activities undertaken by contestants in the election campaign for the purpose of presenting themselves to the public and explaining their election programme to voters.
The election campaign begins on the day of the publication of summary list, and ends 24 hours prior to election day. Election silence begins after the end of the election campaign, and ends on election day at 19:00. During election silence, the following is prohibited: public presentation and explanation to voters of contestants’ election programmes, persuading voters to vote for a specific list of candidates or candidate, publication of assessments of election results, publication of preliminary, unofficial election results or statements and interviews with participants in the election campaign as well as citing their statements or written works.
Local election campaign financing is regulated by the Political Activities, Election Campaign and Referenda Financing Act.
Previous Local elections
Right to vote in local elections have all Croatian citizens over the age of eighteen residing in the territory of local and regional self-government in which the elections take place. Nationals of the European Union Member States, residing either permanently or temporarily in the unit holding the election, have the right to vote for members of the representative body of that unit and to stand as a candidate for members of the representative body of that unit, according to special legislation.
Lists of candidates and candidacies must be received by the competent electoral commission within 14 days of the day the resolution to call the elections came into force.
Bodies conducting elections are the State Electoral Commission of the Republic of Croatia, Electoral Commission of the City of Zagreb, county, city and municipal electoral commissions as well as electoral committees.
The election campaign is a group of activities undertaken by contestants in the election campaign for the purpose of presenting themselves to the public and explaining their election programme to voters.
The election campaign begins on the day of the publication of summary list, and ends 24 hours prior to election day. Election silence begins after the end of the election campaign, and ends on election day at 19:00. During election silence, the following is prohibited: public presentation and explanation to voters of contestants’ election programmes, persuading voters to vote for a specific list of candidates or candidate, publication of assessments of election results, publication of preliminary, unofficial election results or statements and interviews with participants in the election campaign as well as citing their statements or written works.
Local election campaign financing is regulated by the Political Activities, Election Campaign and Referenda Financing Act.
Previous Local elections