Czech Republic: Over 190,000 candidates registered for 2026 elections

More than 190,000 candidates have registered for the upcoming municipal and Senate elections in the Czech Republic, scheduled for October 9 and 10, 2026. According to data from the Czech Statistical Office, there are 22,552 candidate lists featuring 190,153 valid candidates. The average age of candidates is 48, with the oldest being 99 and 643 candidates aged 18.

Demographically, women represent approximately 35 percent of the candidates, and nearly 89 percent of all candidates do not hold formal political party membership. In 1,842 municipalities, voters will choose from candidates of only a single political party. In the city of Prague, competition is high with 24 lists and 1,060 candidates registered.

For the Senate elections, 235 candidates are running across 27 electoral districts. This is a decrease from the previous election six years ago, when 315 candidates participated. In the Karviná region, local preparations are also underway, with various groups forming coalitions and finalizing candidate lists for municipal seats in towns such as Český Těšín, Bohumín, and Karviná.