View source for Elections in Croatia

{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{good article}}
{{Politics of Croatia}}
Regular '''elections in Croatia''' are mandated by the [[Constitution of Croatia|Constitution]] and legislation enacted by [[Parliament of Croatia|Parliament]]. The [[President of Croatia|presidency]], Parliament, [[Counties of Croatia|county]] prefects and assemblies, [[List of cities in Croatia|city]] and [[Municipalities of Croatia|town]] mayors, and city and municipal councils are all elective offices. Since 1990, seven presidential elections have been held. During the same period, ten parliamentary elections (with two for the upper house when the parliament was [[Bicameralism|bicameral]]) were also held. In addition, there were nine nationwide local elections. Croatia has also held three elections  to elect members of the [[European Parliament]] following [[Accession of Croatia to the European Union|its accession to the EU]] on 1 July 2013.

The President of Croatia is elected for a five-year term by a direct vote of all citizens in a [[Majority voting|majority system]], requiring [[runoff election]]s if no candidate wins more than 50 percent of votes in the first round. Members of Parliament are elected for a four-year term in ten multi-seat [[constituencies]], with additional members elected in special constituencies reserved for the [[Croatian diaspora]] and national minorities. As of July 2020, legislation provides for the election of 151 members of the [[Unicameralism|unicameral parliament]] (including three representatives of the Croatian diaspora and eight representatives of national minorities). Out of [[List of political parties in Croatia|31 political parties]] which won seats in Croatian parliamentary elections held since 1990, only six have won ten seats or more in any one parliamentary election. Those were the [[Croatian Democratic Union]], the [[Croatian Peasant Party]], the [[Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats]], the [[Croatian Social Liberal Party]], [[Social Democratic Party of Croatia]] and [[The Bridge (Croatia)|The Bridge]]. The county [[prefect]]s, city/town mayors and municipality presidents are elected for four-year term by a majority of votes cast within applicable [[Administrative divisions of Croatia|local government units]], with a [[runoff election]] if no candidate achieves a majority in the first round of voting. Members of county, city/town and municipal councils are elected for a four-year term through [[proportional representation]], with the entire local government unit as a single constituency.

Any Croatian citizen over age 18 may be a candidate in presidential, parliamentary or local government elections, provided that a sufficient number of endorsements by Croatian voters is obtained beforehand. Croatian elections are relatively well-regulated; regulations include spending limits, annual donation limits, a limitation on the number of endorsed candidates and [[Closed list|election lists]] and regulations governing media coverage. Voting takes place in polling stations in Croatia and abroad, monitored by an electoral board and observers at each station. Ballots consist of an alphabetical list of candidates, or an election list with ordinal numbers (which are circled to indicate a vote). All votes are counted by hand. The State Electoral Commission publishes official results and handles complaints, supported by county, city and town electoral commissions during local elections. Decisions of the electoral commissions may be appealed at the [[Constitutional Court of Croatia]].

==Parliamentary elections==
{{see also|Parliament of Croatia|Government of Croatia}}
[[File:Sabor-pročelje.jpg|thumb|left|[[Parliament of Croatia]] building|alt=Facade of a three-floor building]]
The Parliament of Croatia ({{langx|hr|Hrvatski Sabor}}) consists of 151 members elected to four-year terms in twelve constituencies. Out of that number, 140 are elected in ten multi-seat territorial [[constituencies]]. These are defined on the basis of the existing [[Counties of Croatia|county]] borders, with necessary amendments to achieve a uniform number of eligible voters in each constituency (plus or minus five percent). The eleventh constituency is for [[Croatian diaspora|citizens of Croatia living abroad]]; the number of seats held by this constituency was fixed at three for the [[2011 Croatian parliamentary election|parliamentary election held in December 2011]]. The 2010 [[constitutional amendment]]s abolished the former scheme, in which the number of MPs elected from the eleventh constituency was proportional to the ratio to the number of ballots cast in the other ten constituencies. In the [[2007 Croatian parliamentary election|2007 general election]], this method led to the eleventh constituency electing five MPs.<ref name="Sabor-Izbori2011">{{cite web|publisher=[[Sabor]]|url=http://www.sabor.hr/Default.aspx|language=hr|title=U novi saziv Hrvatskoga sabora bira se 151 zastupnik|trans-title=151 MPs to be elected to the next Sabor|access-date=9 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160525190733/http://www.sabor.hr/Default.aspx|archive-date=25 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[Vjesnik]] |url=http://www.vjesnik.hr/Article.aspx?ID=D2C451F2-7A4C-411E-8F21-7F0263DDFC55 |archive-date=4 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111204062659/http://www.vjesnik.hr/Article.aspx?ID=D2C451F2-7A4C-411E-8F21-7F0263DDFC55 |language=hr |title=Za 151 zastupničko mjesto 4359 kandidata |trans-title=4359 candidates running for 151 parliamentary seats |first=Marijan |last=Lipovac |date=3 December 2011 |access-date=7 June 2012 }}</ref>

The [[D'Hondt method|standard d'Hondt formula]] is applied to the vote (except for the twelfth constituency in which national minority representatives are elected), with a five-percent [[election threshold]] in each constituency.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[Večernji list]]|language=hr|url=http://www.vecernji.hr/vijesti/kukuriku-koalicija-podijelila-mjesta-listama-ali-ne-resore-clanak-310528|title=Kukuriku-koalicija podijelila mjesta na listama, ali ne i resore|trans-title=Kukuriku coalition carves out candidate lists, not the ministries|date=15 July 2011 |author=Petra Maretić-Žonja |author2=Vojislav Mazzocco |access-date=9 November 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=State Electoral Commission|url=http://www.izbori.hr/izbori/ip.nsf/WPDS/F70CFD524E0E4545C1257455004696F5?open&1|title=Izborni postupak u izborima za Hrvatski sabor|trans-title=Election process for Croatian parliamentary elections|language=hr|access-date=21 November 2011}}</ref> Since 2015, the parliamentary elections have an element of [[Ranked voting methods|preferential voting]] by letting voters choose not only for a list of candidates, but also a single member of the same list. If the percentage of votes for a candidate exceeds 10%, they are elected as if it was an [[open list]] system. The list ranking is maintained for those candidates that do not meet this quota.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/croatian-parliament-backs-changes-to-electoral-law/ |title=Croatian parliament backs changes to electoral law |publisher=europeanvoice.com |date=2015-02-26 |access-date=2015-02-26}}</ref>
[[File:Constituencies of Croatia (2023-present).svg|thumb|right|Map of the new Croatian electoral districts 2023]]

An additional eight members of the parliament are elected from the twelfth constituency. It encompasses the entire country; candidates in this constituency are elected by voters belonging to [[Demographics of Croatia#Ethnic groups|22 recognized minorities in Croatia]]: the [[Serbs of Croatia|Serb minority]] elects three MPs, the [[Hungarians of Croatia|Hungarians]] and [[Italians of Croatia|Italians]] elect one MP each, the [[Czechs of Croatia|Czech]] and [[Slovaks of Croatia|Slovak]] minorities jointly elect one MP, and all other minorities elect the final two MPs. Minority MPs are elected by simple [[plurality vote|plurality system]] (candidates with the most votes are elected).<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[Narodne Novine]]|language=hr|title=Zakon o izborima zastupnika u Hrvatski Sabor|trans-title=Croatian Parliament Members Election Act|url=http://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/305405.html|date=23 April 2003|access-date=9 November 2011}}</ref> The nationality of the voters is listed in the [[Resident registration|voter registry]], which is provided by the registrar's office that maintains Croatia's [[vital record]]s. Voter nationalities are normally officially declared by the parents at birth, but any citizen may declare or change that information later on at the registrar's office at least 14 days ahead of elections (not at the polling station).<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Narodne novine]]|url=http://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/297208.html|title=Zakon o popisima birača|trans-title=Voter Registries Act|date=16 February 2007|access-date=17 June 2012|language=hr}}</ref> The voter's nationality need not be declared or may be declared as unknown. During elections, voters who have officially declared they belong to one of the recognized minorities in Croatia may choose to vote for either a territorially applicable list or a corresponding national minority list; a voter of unknown or non-declared nationality may vote for either a territorially applicable list or any minority list; a voter who has declared a nationality other than Croat or a recognized minority may vote only for a territorially applicable list (the same as someone who has declared themselves a Croat).<ref>{{cite web|publisher=index.hr|url=http://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/gong-o-nacinu-glasovanja-pripadnika-manjina/171325.aspx|language=hr|title=GONG o načinu glasovanja pripadnika manjina|trans-title=GONG on voting procedure for ethnic minorities|date=19 November 2003|access-date=11 February 2012}}</ref> Minority voting and minority representation rules have raised controversy and were eventually upheld by the Constitutional Court.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Toplak|first1=Jurij|last2=Gardasevic|first2=Djordje|date=2017-11-14|title=Concepts of National and Constitutional Identity in Croatian Constitutional Law|url=http://booksandjournals.brillonline.com/content/journals/10.1163/15730352-04204001|journal=Review of Central and East European Law|language=en|volume=42|issue=4|pages=263–293|doi=10.1163/15730352-04204001|issn=1573-0352|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

An [[election silence]] is enforced on the day before and the day of the elections, ending at 7:00&nbsp;pm when the polling stations close and the exit polls are published.<ref name="Silence-Par">{{cite web|publisher=[[RTL Televizija]]|url=http://www.rtl.hr/izborna-zona/vijesti/pocela-najkraca-izborna-promidzba-u-hrvatskoj/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130217193730/http://www.rtl.hr/izborna-zona/vijesti/pocela-najkraca-izborna-promidzba-u-hrvatskoj/|archive-date=17 February 2013|language=hr|title=Počela najkraća izborna promidžba u Hrvatskoj|trans-title=The Shortest Election Campaign in Croatia Starts|date=18 November 2011|access-date=21 November 2011}}</ref>

Although political parties fund their campaigns using donations or their own assets, the government reimburses them for each parliamentary seat won. For instance, each seat won in the 2011 parliamentary election brought a party 180,000&nbsp;[[Croatian kuna|kuna]] ({{circa|24,300}}&nbsp;[[euro]]s). Smaller sums were paid to parties or candidates failing to win any parliamentary seats, provided that they received more than five percent of the votes cast in a constituency.<ref name="Adriano Milovan">{{cite news|newspaper=[[Jutarnji list]]|language=hr|url=http://www.jutarnji.hr/vlada-odlucila--strankama-180-tisuca-kuna-za-svaki-osvojeni-mandat-u-saboru/985008/|title=Vlada štedi na izborima: Strankama 180 tisuća kuna za svaki osvojeni mandat u Saboru|trans-title=Government Cuts Costs at the Election: 180 Thousand Kuna to the Parties for Each Parliamentary Seat Won|first=Adriano|last=Milovan|date=3 November 2011|access-date=21 November 2011}}</ref>

===2024 parliamentary election===
{{Main|2024 Croatian parliamentary election}}
{{Election results|image=[[File:2024 Croatian Parliament.svg]]|party1=[[Croatian Democratic Union]] coalition{{efn|Of the 61 seat won by the coalition, the [[Croatian Democratic Union]] won 55, [[Croatian Social Liberal Party]] won two, and [[Croatian Demochristian Party]], [[Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats]], [[Croatian Party of Pensioners]] and independent [[Marijana Petir]] won one each}}|votes1=729949|sw1=|seats1=61|sc1=–6|party2=[[Rivers of Justice]]{{efn|Of the 42 seats won by the coalition, the [[Social Democratic Party of Croatia]] won 37, [[Centre (Croatian political party)|Centre]] won two, and [[Croatian Peasant Party]], [[Civic Liberal Alliance]], [[Dalija Orešković and People with a First and Last Name]] won one each}}|votes2=538748|sw2=|seats2=42|sc2=+2|party3=[[Homeland Movement (Croatia)|Homeland Movement]] coalition{{efn|Of the 14 seats won by the coalition, the [[Homeland Movement (Croatia)|Homeland Movement]] won 11 and the [[Law and Justice (Croatia)|Law and Justice]], independent Željko Lacković and independent [[Ivan Šipić]] one each}}|votes3=202714|sw3=|seats3=14|sc3=+2|party4=[[We can! (Croatia)|We can!]]|votes4=193051|sw4=|seats4=10|sc4=+5|party5=[[The Bridge (Croatia)|The Bridge]]–[[Croatian Sovereignists]]{{efn|Of the 11 seats won by the coalition, [[The Bridge (Croatia)|The Bridge]] won nine and the [[Croatian Sovereignists]] two}}|votes5=169988|sw5=|seats5=11|sc5=–1|party6=[[Focus (Croatian political party)|Focus]]–[[Republic (Croatian political party)|Republic]]{{efn|Only seat was won by the [[Focus (Croatian political party)|Focus]]}}|votes6=47715|sw6=|seats6=1|sc6=0|colour6=#05AACB|party7=[[Our Croatia]]{{efn|Including the IDS-PGS result in the VII district; both seats were won by [[Istrian Democratic Assembly]]}}|votes7=47655|sw7=|seats7=2|sc7=–1|party8={{abbr|UZ|Pensioners Together}}–{{abbr|SU|Party of Pensioners}}–{{ill|Pensioners Together Bloc|hr|Blok umirovljenici zajedno|lt=BUZ}}–{{abbr|DSU|Democratic Party of Pensioners}}|votes8=40755|seats8=0|sc8=0|party9={{ill|Determination and Justice|hr|Odlučnost i pravednost}}|votes9=26198|seats9=0|sc9=New|color9=#095481|party10=[[Independent Platform of the North]]|votes10=25830|sw10=|seats10=2|sc10=New|party11=[[Party of Ivan Pernar]]|votes11=19367|seats11=0|sc11=0|party12=[[Croatian Party of Rights|HSP]]–{{abbr|HB|Croatian Pulse}}–[[Croatian Democratic Peasant Party|HDSS]]|votes12=18128|seats12=0|sc12=0|party13=[[Workers' Front (Croatia)|Workers' Front]]|votes13=16869|seats13=0|sc13=–1|party14=Agrarian Party–Action for Change|votes14=7051|seats14=0|sc14=New|party15=[[Autochthonous Croatian Party of Rights]]|votes15=6291|seats15=0|sc15=0|party16=Movement for a Modern Croatia|votes16=1684|seats16=0|sc16=0|party17=Public Good|votes17=1650|seats17=0|sc17=New|party18=[[Socialist Labour Party of Croatia]]|votes18=1206|seats18=0|sc18=0|party19=[[Righteous Croatia]]|votes19=1124|seats19=0|sc19=New|color19=#095495|party20=Croatian Civil Resistance Party|votes20=998|seats20=0|sc20=0|party21=[[Croatian Party of Rights — Dr. Ante Starčević]]|votes21=882|seats21=0|sc21=New|party22=Međimurje Democratic Union|votes22=762|seats22=0|sc22=New|party23=[[Dalmatian Action (2021)|Dalmatian Action]]|votes23=699|seats23=0|sc23=New|color23={{party color|Dalmatian Action}}|party24=Party of Croatian Unity|votes24=231|seats24=0|sc24=New|party25=Independents|votes25=21234|seats25=0|sc25=0|total_sc=0|invalid=59632|electorate=3523270|embedded={{Election results|embed=y|header1=Minority lists
|party2=[[Independent Democratic Serb Party]]
|votes2=
|sw2=
|seats2=3
|sc2=0 

|party3=[[Bošnjaci zajedno!]]
|votes3=
|sw3=
|seats3=1
|sc3=New

|party4=[[Croatian Romani Union "Kali Sara"]]
|votes4=
|sw4=
|seats4=1
|sc4=0

|party5=[[Democratic Union of Hungarians of Croatia|Democratic Union of Hungarians]]
|votes5=
|sw5=
|seats5=1
|sc5=0

|party9=[[Independent politician|Independents]]
|votes9=
|sw9=
|seats9=2
|sc9=0
|total_sc=0

|valid=33914
|invalid=849

|source=Results<ref name="results2024">{{Cite web |title=Konačni rezultati izbora zastupnika u Hrvatski Sabor 2024 |trans-title=Final results of the 2024 Croatian Parliament election |date=29 April 2024 |url=https://www.izbori.hr/site/UserDocsImages/2024/Izbori_za_zastupnike_u_Hrvatski_sabor/Rezultati/Sabor%202024.%20Kona%C4%8Dni%20rezultati%20izbora.pdf |access-date=29 April 2024 |website=Državno izborno povjerenstvo Republike Hrvatske |language=hr |archive-date=29 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429130034/https://www.izbori.hr/site/UserDocsImages/2024/Izbori_za_zastupnike_u_Hrvatski_sabor/Rezultati/Sabor%202024.%20Kona%C4%8Dni%20rezultati%20izbora.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

}}}}

===Next parliamentary election===
''See article'': [[Next Croatian parliamentary election]]

Parliamentary elections are to be held no later than 60 days after the expiration of the 4-year parliamentary term, counting from the day that parliament is constituted with the election of a [[Speaker of the Croatian Parliament|Speaker]] or no later than 60 days after the dissolution of parliament by vote of MPs. The 11th Assembly of Parliament was constituted on 16 May 2024.

===Previous parliamentary elections===
[[File:Croatian_parliamentary_seats_1992-2020.png|thumb|right|400px|Croatian parliamentary election results, 1992–2020; parties winning 10 or more seats in any one election shown individually|alt=Graph of Croatian election results, using differently-colored lines]]
Since 1990, fourteen parliamentary elections have been held in Croatia. These have included the 1990 elections for a tricameral parliament, three elections of the Chamber of Deputies during the bicameral parliament's existence, seven elections of the unicameral Parliament and two elections of the Chamber of Counties—the [[upper house]] of the bicameral parliament.<ref name="Arhiva-Izbora">{{cite web|title=Arhiva izbora|trans-title=Elections Archive|url=https://www.izbori.hr/arhiva-izbora/#/app/home|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180602004328/http://www.izbori.hr:80/arhiva-izbora |archive-date=2 June 2018 |access-date=17 October 2021|website=Državno izborno povjerenstvo|publisher=State Election Commission|language=hr}}</ref>

The elections held in 1990 were the first multi-party elections after 45 years of Communist rule; candidates vied for all 80 seats in the Social-Political Council of Croatia, all 116 seats in the Municipalities Council of Croatia and all 160 seats in the Associated Labour Council of Croatia (since Parliament had three chambers at the time). The first round of the election saw a turnout of 85.5 percent, and the runoff-election turnout was 74.8 percent. The [[Croatian Democratic Union]] (HDZ) won 205 seats, and the [[League of Communists of Croatia - Party of Democratic Changes|League of Communist of Croatia]] won 107.<ref name="Arhiva-Izbora"/>

====Previous Chamber of Deputies and unicameral Sabor elections====
Nine parliamentary elections have been held since for the Chamber of Deputies ({{langx|hr|Zastupnički dom}}) or the unicameral parliament since then—in 1992, 1995, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2020. Beginning with the 1992 elections, the number of seats in the Chamber of Deputies (and, later, in the unicameral parliament) was significantly changed—ranging from 127 in 1995 to 153 in 2007 and 151 in 2011. In the Croatian parliamentary elections held since 1992, when the number of seats in parliament was limited below 160, only six parties have won ten seats or more in any single election: the [[Croatian Democratic Union]] (HDZ), the [[Croatian Peasant Party]] (HSS), the [[Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats]] (HNS), the [[Croatian Social Liberal Party]] (HSLS) and the [[Social Democratic Party of Croatia]] (SDP), [[The Bridge (Croatia)|The Bridge]](Most).<ref name="Arhiva-Izbora"/>

Several other political parties (besides the HDZ, HSS, HNS, HSLS, Most and SDP) have won parliamentary seats since the 1990 election. Those are (in alphabetical order): the [[Alliance of Primorje-Gorski Kotar]] (previously known as the Rijeka Democratic Alliance), the [[Croatian Christian Democratic Union]], the [[Croatian Citizen Party]], the [[Croatian Democratic Alliance of Slavonia and Baranja]], the [[Croatian Democratic Peasant Party]], the [[Croatian Independent Democrats]], the [[Croatian Party of Pensioners]], the [[Croatian Party of Rights]], the [[Croatian Party of Rights dr. Ante Starčević]], [[Dalmatian Action]], the [[Democratic Centre (Croatia)|Democratic Centre]], the [[Istrian Democratic Assembly]], the [[Liberal Party (Croatia)|Liberal Party]], the [[Party of Liberal Democrats]], the [[Serb Democratic Party (Croatia)|Serb Democratic Party]], the [[Slavonia-Baranja Croatian Party]] and the [[Social Democratic Action of Croatia]].<ref name="Arhiva-Izbora"/>
The following parties have won the special seats reserved for [[national minority]] representatives (also in alphabetical order): the [[Bosnian Democratic Party of Croatia]], the [[Democratic Union of Hungarians of Croatia]], the [[German People's Union – National Association of Danube Swabians in Croatia]], the [[Independent Democratic Serb Party]], the [[Party of Democratic Action of Croatia]] and the [[Serb People's Party (Croatia)|Serb People's Party]].<ref name="Arhiva-Izbora"/>
In addition, numerous [[independent (politician)|independent]]s have won seats through [[Party-list proportional representation|party lists]], and [[Ivan Grubišić]]'s [[Nonpartisan politician|nonpartisan]] list won seats as a territorial election list.<ref name="Arhiva-Izbora"/> Since the parliamentary seats won belong to individuals, not parties, there have been instances where members have become independent or switched to another political party.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Politička misao|issn=0032-3241|publisher=[[University of Zagreb]], Faculty of Political Science|volume=36|issue=3|date=September 1999|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=50836|pages=151–174|title=Strukturna dinamika hrvatskog parlamenta|language=hr|trans-title=Structural Dynamics of the Croatian Parliament|access-date=13 November 2011}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+Parliamentary elections overview since 1990<br /><small>([[Tricameralism|Tricameral parliament]] (1990), Chamber of Representatives (Lower house 1990–2001), unicameral parliament (2001–present))</small>
|-
! Election || Turnout || Results || [[Cabinet of Croatia|Cabinet(s)]]
|-align=left
| [[1990 Croatian parliamentary election|1990]] || * || [[List of members of Croatian Parliament, 1990–92|1st assembly]]|| [[Cabinet of Stjepan Mesić]], [[Cabinet of Josip Manolić]], [[Cabinet of Franjo Gregurić]]
|-align=left
| [[1992 Croatian parliamentary election|1992]] || 75.6% || [[List of members of the Sabor, 1992–1995|2nd assembly]]|| [[Cabinet of Hrvoje Šarinić]], [[Cabinet of Nikica Valentić]]
|-align=left
| [[1995 Croatian parliamentary election|1995]] || 68.8% || [[List of members of Croatian Parliament, 1995–00|3rd assembly]]|| [[Cabinet of Zlatko Mateša]]
|-align=left
| [[2000 Croatian parliamentary election|2000]] || 70.5% || [[List of members of Croatian Parliament, 2000–03|4th assembly]] || [[Cabinet of Ivica Račan I]], [[Cabinet of Ivica Račan II]]
|-align=left
| [[2003 Croatian parliamentary election|2003]] || 61.7% || [[List of members of the Sabor, 2003–2007|5th assembly]]|| [[Cabinet of Ivo Sanader I]]
|-align=left
| [[2007 Croatian parliamentary election|2007]] || 59.5% || [[List of members of the Sabor, 2008–2011|6th assembly]]|| [[Cabinet of Ivo Sanader II]], [[Cabinet of Jadranka Kosor]]
|-align=left
| [[2011 Croatian parliamentary election|2011]] || 54.3% || [[List of members of the Sabor, 2011–2015|7th assembly]]|| [[Cabinet of Zoran Milanović]]
|-align=left
| [[2015 Croatian parliamentary election|2015]] || 60.8% || [[List of members of the Sabor, 2015–2016|8th assembly]]|| [[Cabinet of Tihomir Orešković]]
|-align=left
| [[2016 Croatian parliamentary election|2016]] || 52.6% || [[List of members of the Sabor, 2016–2020|9th assembly]]|| [[Cabinet of Andrej Plenković I]]
|-align=left
| [[2020 Croatian parliamentary election|2020]] || 46.4% || [[List of members of the Sabor, 2020–2024|10th assembly]]|| [[Cabinet of Andrej Plenković II]]
|-
|[[2024 Croatian parliamentary election|2024]]
|62.3%
|[[List of members of the Sabor, 2024–|11th assembly]]
|[[Cabinet of Andrej Plenković III]]
|-
! colspan=4|Source: State Election Commission<ref name="Arhiva-Izbora"/>
|}

<nowiki>*</nowiki>In the first multi-party elections in [[1990 Croatian parliamentary election|1990]] three parliamentary chambers were elected in a two-round majoritarian system: the Social-Political Council, the Council of Municipalities and the Council of Associated Labour. Turnout for the election each chamber varied. It was as follows: Social-Political council (84.5% in first round in all constituencies, 74.82% in second round in 51 of 80 constituencies), Council of Municipalities (84.1% in first round, 74.6% in second round) and Council of Associated Labour (76.5% in first round in all constituencies, 66% in second round in 103 of 160 constituencies).

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-class="sortbottom"
|+ Seats won in parliamentary elections<br /><small>(since 1990, Chamber of Deputies or unicameral parliament)</small>
|-
! Party || [[1990 Croatian parliamentary election|1990]]|| [[1992 Croatian parliamentary election|1992]] || [[1995 Croatian parliamentary election|1995]] || [[2000 Croatian parliamentary election|2000]] || [[2003 Croatian parliamentary election|2003]] || [[2007 Croatian parliamentary election|2007]] || [[2011 Croatian parliamentary election|2011]] || [[2015 Croatian parliamentary election|2015]] || [[2016 Croatian parliamentary election|2016]] || [[2020 Croatian parliamentary election|2020]]
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Alliance of Primorje-Gorski Kotar]] || {{sort|0|–}} || 1 || 1 || 2 || 1 || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Bloc for Croatia]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} ||  {{sort|0|–}}  || {{sort|0|–}} || 1
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Bloc of Pensioners - Together]]|| {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 1 || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Bosniak Democratic Party of Croatia]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 1 || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Bridge of Independent Lists]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 19 || 13 || 8
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Civic Liberal Alliance]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 1
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Coalition of People's Accord]] || 3 || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Croatian Christian Democratic Union]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 1 || 1 || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 1 ||{{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} 
|-align=center
| align=left |[[Croatian Citizen Party]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 2 || {{sort|0|–}} ||{{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Croatian Democratic Alliance of Slavonia and Baranja]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|-}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 3 || 6 || 2 || 1 || {{sort|0|–}}
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Croatian Democratic Peasant Party]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 1 || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Croatian Democratic Union]] || 55 || 85 || 75 || 46 || 66 || 66 || 44 || 50 || 57 || 62
|-align=center | align=left|[[Croatian Independent Democrats]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 1 || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}}
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Croatian Growth]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 1 || 1 || {{sort|0|–}}
|-align=center
| align=left | [[Croatian Labourists – Labour Party]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 6 || 3 ||{{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Croatian Party of Pensioners]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 3 || 1 || 3 || 2 || 1 || 1
|-align=center 
| align=left|[[Croatian Party of Rights]] || {{sort|0|–}} || 5 || 4 || 4 || 8 || 1 || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} ||{{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}}
|-align=center 
| align=left |[[Croatian Party of Rights dr. Ante Starčević]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 1 || 3 ||{{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}}
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Croatian Peasant Party]] || {{sort|0|–}} || 3 || 10 || 17 || 10 || 6 || 1 || 1 || 5 || 2
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats]] || {{sort|0|–}} || 6 || 2 || 2 || 10 || 7 || 14 || 9 || 9 || 1
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Croatian Social Liberal Party]] || {{sort|0|–}} || 14 || 12 || 25 || 2 || 2 || {{sort|0|–}} || 2 || 1 || 2
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Croatian Sovereignists]]|| {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 4
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Dalmatian Action]] || {{sort|0|–}} || 1 || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Democratic Centre (Croatia)|Democratic Centre]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 1 || {{sort|0|–}} || 1 || {{sort|0|–}} ||{{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Democratic Union of Hungarians of Croatia]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 1 || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 1 || 1
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Focus (Croatian political party)|Focus]]|| {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 1
|-align=center
| align=left|[[German People's Union – National Association of Danube Swabians in Croatia|German People's Union]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 1 || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} ||{{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Human Blockade]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 1 || 4 || {{sort|0|–}}
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Independent Democratic Serb Party]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3 ||  3 || 3 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Istrian Democratic Assembly]] || {{sort|0|–}} || 4 || 3 || 4 || 4 || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3 || 3 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Liberal Party (Croatia)|Liberal Party]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 2 || 2 || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} ||{{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Milan Bandić 365 - The Party of Labour and Solidarity]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 2 || 1 || {{sort|0|–}} 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Miroslav Škoro Homeland Movement]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 9
|-align=center 
| align=left|[[New Left (Croatia)|New Left]]|| {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 1
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Party of Democratic Action of Croatia]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 1 || {{sort|0|–}} || 1 || 1 || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} ||{{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[People's Party - Reformists]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 1 || 1 || 1 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[LIBRA|Party of Liberal Democrats]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 3 || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} ||{{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Party with a First and Last Name]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} ||{{sort|0|–}} || 1 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Serb Democratic Party (Croatia)|Serb Democratic Party]] || 1 || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} ||{{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Serb People's Party (Croatia)|Serb People's Party]] || {{sort|0|–}} || 3 || 2 || 1 || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} ||{{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Slavonia-Baranja Croatian Party]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 1 || 1 || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} ||{{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Pametno|Smart]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} ||{{sort|0|–}} || 1
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Social Democratic Action of Croatia]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || 1 || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} ||{{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Social Democratic Party of Croatia]] || 20 || 6 || 10 || 43 || 34 || 56 || 61 || 42 || 39 || 32 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[We can! (Croatia)|We can!]] || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} || {{sort|0|–}} ||{{sort|0|–}} || 4
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Independent (politician)|Independent]] || 1 || 4 || 3 || 3 || 4 || 4 || 5 || 5 || 5 || 5
|-class="sortbottom"
! colspan=11 | Source: State Election Commission<ref name="Arhiva-Izbora"/>
|}

====Chamber of Counties elections====
{{main|Croatian Chamber of Counties election, 1993|Croatian Chamber of Counties election, 1997}}
Under the [[Constitution of Croatia]] adopted in 1990, the [[Parliament of Croatia]] became [[bicameral]]. The Chamber of Deputies had been elected a few months earlier, and its members enacted legislation creating a new [[Administrative divisions of Croatia|territorial organisation of Croatia]]. This included 21 counties that were to be represented by the new Chamber of Counties ({{langx|hr|Županijski dom}}). The first election of members to the chamber was held on 7 February 1993, with each county acting as a multi-seat constituency; three MPs were elected in each county on the basis of [[proportional representation]]. In addition, the [[President of Croatia]] appointed up to 5 more members of the Chamber of the Counties to complete its 68-strong membership. The second election for the Chamber of Counties was held on 13 April 1997.<ref name="Arhiva-Izbora"/><ref name="CC-1997">{{cite web|publisher=State Election Commission|url=http://www.izbori.hr/izbori/ipFiles.nsf/0/9AE655F84501F7B6C1257455003AD695/$FILE/1997_županijski%20dom.pdf|language=hr|title=Rezultati izbora za županijski dom Sabora Republike Hrvatske 1997. godine|trans-title=Results of Election for the Chamber of Counties of the Parliament of the Republic of Croatia in Year 1997|access-date=13 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102082245/http://www.izbori.hr/izbori/ipFiles.nsf/0/9AE655F84501F7B6C1257455003AD695/$FILE/1997_%C5%BEupanijski%20dom.pdf|archive-date=2 November 2013}}</ref> The Chamber of Deputies was abolished by a constitutional amendment in 2001.<ref name="CC-Hist">{{cite web|publisher=[[Croatian Constitutional Court]] |url=http://www.usud.hr/default.aspx?Show=c_o_sudu&G1=&G2=&G3=&m1=15&m2=0&Lang=en |title=History of Croatian Constitutional Judicature |access-date=9 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415021807/http://www.usud.hr/default.aspx?Show=c_o_sudu&G1=&G2=&G3=&m1=15&m2=0&Lang=en |archive-date=15 April 2012 }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Seats won in parliamentary elections by individual parties<br/>Chamber of Counties elections 1993–1997
|-
! Party || [[1993 Croatian Chamber of Counties election|1993]]|| [[1997 Croatian Chamber of Counties election|1997]]
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Croatian Democratic Union]] || 39 || 42
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Croatian Party of Rights]] || – || 2
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Croatian Peasant Party]] || 5 || 9
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats|Croatian People's Party]] || 1 || –
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Croatian Social Liberal Party]] || 16 || 7
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Istrian Democratic Assembly]] || 3 || 2
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Social Democratic Party of Croatia]] || 1 || 4
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Independent (politician)|Independent]] || 3 || 2
|-
! colspan=7|Source: State Election Commission<ref name="Arhiva-Izbora"/><ref name="CC-1997"/>
|}

==Presidential elections==
{{see also|President of Croatia}}
[[File:Josipovic election night.jpg|thumb|right|Ivo Josipović's 2010 election victory speech|alt=Grey-haired man with glasses, surrounded by cheering supporters]]

The President of Croatia (officially the President of the Republic, {{langx|hr|Predsjednik Republike}}<ref name="Ustav-RH">{{cite news|newspaper=Narodne Novine|language=hr|url=http://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2010_07_85_2422.html|title=Ustav Republike Hrvatske|trans-title=Constitution of the Republic of Croatia|date=9 July 2010|access-date=11 October 2011}}</ref>) is elected to a five-year term by a direct vote of all citizens, with a majority vote required to win. A [[Two-round system|runoff election]] is held if no candidate secures a majority in the first round. The presidential elections are regulated by the constitution and dedicated legislation; however, the latter only defines technical details, appeals and similar issues. Any citizen of Croatia, 18 or older, may be a candidate in a presidential election if the candidate is endorsed by 10,000 voters. The endorsements are required in the form of a list containing name, address, personal identification number and voter signature. The presidential elections are regulated by an act of parliament.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Narodne Novine]]|url=http://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/255983.html|language=hr|title=Zakon o izboru predsjednika Republike Hrvatske|trans-title=President of the Republic of Croatia Election Act|date=17 April 1992|access-date=7 December 2011}}</ref> [[Election silence]] is in force on the day of the elections and the previous day, ending at 7 in the evening as [[polling station]]s close; [[exit poll]]s may be published after that time.<ref name="Silnence-Pres">{{cite web|publisher=[[Business.hr]]|url=http://www.business.hr/hr/Naslovnica/Politika/Izborna-sutnja-traje-do-objave-exit-polla-u-nedjelju-u-19-sati|language=hr|title=Izborna šutnja traje do objave exit polla u nedjelju u 19 sati|trans-title=Election silence lasts until exit polls are published at 7&nbsp;pm on Sunday|date=9 January 2010|access-date=21 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120514102725/http://www.business.hr/hr/Naslovnica/Politika/Izborna-sutnja-traje-do-objave-exit-polla-u-nedjelju-u-19-sati|archive-date=14 May 2012}}</ref>
Unless the presidential term is cut short by death, resignation or removal from office, resulting in an early election, the elections for President of the Republic are scheduled to take place every 5 years, with the incumbent having a possibility of re-election. The president is currently term limited to two 5-year terms.

===2024–25 presidential election===
{{Election results
|cand1=[[Zoran Milanović]]|party1=Independent ([[Social Democratic Party of Croatia|Social Democratic Party]]){{efn|name=ZM|Endorsed by the [[Social Democratic Party of Croatia|SDP]],<ref name="net.hr">{{cite web |title=Grbin potvrdio da će Milanović biti SDP-ov kandidat za predsjednika |url=https://net.hr/danas/vijesti/glavni-odbor-sdp-a-potvrdio-zorana-milanovica-za-predsjednickog-kandidata-87e4bd6c-3629-11ef-993a-be914d0f96fe |website=Net.hr |access-date=30 June 2024 |language=hr-HR |date=29 June 2024}}</ref> [[Croatian Peasant Party|HSS]],<ref name=Jutarnji>{{Cite news|url=https://www.jutarnji.hr/vijesti/hrvatska/siroka-kolindina-potpora-s-proslih-izbora-svela-se-samo-na-hdz-zavrsen-ciklus-grupiranja-stranaka-oko-kandidata-analiziramo-tko-je-najbolje-prosao/9420671/|title=ŠIROKA KOLINDINA POTPORA S PROŠLIH IZBORA SVELA SE SAMO NA HDZ Završen ciklus grupiranja stranaka oko kandidata: Analiziramo tko je najbolje prošao...|publisher=[[Jutarnji list]]|date=30 September 2019}}</ref> [[People's Party – Reformists|NS-R]],<ref name="index.hr">{{cite web |title=Čačićevi Reformisti dali podršku Milanoviću na izborima za predsjednika |url=https://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/cacicevi-reformisti-dali-podrsku-milanovicu-na-izborima-za-predsjednika/2578288.aspx |website=[[Index.hr]] |access-date=30 June 2024 |language=hr}}</ref> [[Independent Platform of the North|NPS]],<ref name="Uzinić">{{Cite web |last=Uzinić |first=Silvana |date=1 July 2024 |title=Tko će podržati Milanovića i zašto u Saboru prijedlozi bivše 'mostovke' ekspresno dolaze na dnevni red? |trans-title=Who will support Milanović and why are the proposals of the former "mostovka" on the agenda in Parliament? |url=https://slobodnadalmacija.hr/vijesti/politika/tko-ce-podrzati-milanovica-i-zasto-u-saboru-prijedlozi-bivse-mostovke-ekspresno-dolaze-na-dnevni-red-1400689 |access-date=5 July 2024 |website=Slobodna Dalmacija |language=hr}}</ref> SU,<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite web |title=Stranka umirovljenika podržala Milanovića, on obećao da će "glasno govoriti" |url=https://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/stranka-umirovljenika-podrzala-milanovica-on-obecao-da-ce-glasno-govoriti/2587724.aspx |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=www.index.hr |language=hr}}</ref>
BUZ,<ref name="Podržat ćemo" /> [[Centre (Croatian political party)|Centre]], [[Istrian Democratic Assembly|IDS]], [[Dalija Orešković and People with a First and Last Name|DO i SIP]], [[Civic Liberal Alliance|Glas]] and MDS}}|votes1=797938|votes1_2=1122859
|cand2=[[Dragan Primorac]]|party2=Independent ([[Croatian Democratic Union]]){{efn|name=DP|Endorsed by the [[Croatian Democratic Union|HDZ]],<ref name="vijesti.hrt.hr">{{cite web |title=Primorac objavio kandidaturu za predsjednika RH, HDZ mu dao potporu|url=https://vijesti.hrt.hr/hrvatska/dragan-primorac-objavio-kandidaturu-za-predsjednicke-izbore-11686143 |website=[[vijesti.hrt.hr]] |access-date=7 September 2024 |language=hr}}</ref> [[Croatian Party of Pensioners|HSU]],<ref name="Špiljak">{{Cite web |last=Špiljak |first=Lucija |date=1 August 2024 |title=HSU podržao kandidaturu Dragana Primorca: 'Postao je meta napada i omalovažavanja' |trans-title=HSU supported Dragan Primorc's candidacy: 'He became the target of attacks and disparagement' |url=https://www.tportal.hr/vijesti/clanak/hsu-podrzao-kandidaturu-dragana-primorca-postao-je-meta-napada-i-omalovazavanja-20240801 |access-date=1 August 2024 |website=tportal |language=hr}}</ref> [[Croatian Demochristian Party|HDS]],<ref name="ReferenceB">{{Cite web |date=1 August 2024 |title=Zekanović podržao Primorca: On je čovjek koji može pobijediti Milanovića |trans-title=Zekanović supported Primorac: He is the man who can defeat Milanović |url=https://vijesti.hrt.hr/hrvatska/zekanovic-11687897 |access-date=1 August 2024 |website=HRT |language=hr}}</ref> [[Homeland Movement (Croatia)|DP]],<ref name="Penava otkrio"/> [[Croatian Social Liberal Party|HSLS]] and [[Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats|HNS]]}}|votes2=314663|votes2_2=380752
|cand3=[[Marija Selak Raspudić]] |party3=Independent |votes3=150435
|cand4=[[Ivana Kekin]]|party4=[[We can! (Croatia)|We can!]]|votes4=144533
|cand5=[[Tomislav Jonjić]]|party5=Independent ([[Croatian Party of Rights]])|votes5=82787
|cand6=[[Miro Bulj]]|party6=[[The Bridge (Croatia)|The Bridge]]|votes6=62127
|cand7=[[Branka Lozo]]|party7=[[Home and National Rally]]|votes7=39321
|cand8=[[Niko Tokić Kartelo]]|party8=Independent|votes8=14409 
|invalid=18786 |invalid2=57209
|electorate=3531622 |electorate2=3533441
|source=[https://www.izbori.hr/pre2024/rezultati/1/ izbori.hr], [https://www.izbori.hr/pre2024/rezultati/2/ izbori.hr]
}}

===Next presidential election===

The next presidential election in Croatia is due to be held no more than 60 and no less than 30 days before the expiry of the incumbent president's term, as stated in the [[Constitution of Croatia]]. If the current president serves out his full term, which began on 19 February 2020 and lasts for 5 years, the election must be held on a date between 21 December 2024 and 20 January 2025.

After his victory in the 2024-25 election, 5th president [[Zoran Milanović]] became the 3rd president to be elected to a 2nd term in office. The only candidates eligible to run for a second presidential term are former presidents [[Ivo Josipović]] and [[Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović|Kolinda Grabar Kitarović]]. Both narrowly lost re-election in their respective campaign, with Josipović losing to Grabar Kitarović in [[2014–15 Croatian presidential election|2015]], and Grabar Kitarović losing to Zoran Milanović in [[2019–20 Croatian presidential election|2020]]. Both are therefore eligible for a second term.

===Previous presidential elections===
Presidential elections were held in [[Croatia]] for [[1992 Croatian presidential election|the first time on 2 August 1992]], concurrently with [[1992 Croatian parliamentary election|the 1992 parliamentary elections]]. Voter turnout was 74.9 percent. The result was a victory for [[Franjo Tuđman]] of the HDZ, who received 57.8 percent of the vote in the first round of the election (ahead of seven other candidates). [[Dražen Budiša]], the HSLS candidate and runner-up in the election, received 22.3 percent of the vote. [[1997 Croatian presidential election|The second presidential election]] in modern Croatia was held on 15 June 1997. The incumbent, Franjo Tuđman, ran opposed by [[Zdravko Tomac]] (candidate of the SDP) and [[Vlado Gotovac]] (nominated by the HSLS). Tomac and Gotovac received 21.0 and 17.6 percent of votes, respectively, in the first round of voting and Tuđman secured another term. [[2000 Croatian presidential election|The third presidential elections]] were held on 24 January 2000 to fill the office of President, after incumbent Franjo Tuđman died on 10 December 1999.<ref name="Death">{{cite web|date=11 December 1999|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/559712.stm|title=Tears for Croatian president|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=13 November 2011}}</ref> The first round of voting saw [[Stjepan Mesić]] (candidate of the Croatian People's Party, or HNS) in front with 41.3 percent of the vote, followed by Dražen Budiša of the HSLS with 27.8 percent and [[Mate Granić]] (nominated by the HDZ) receiving 22.6 percent. The [[runoff election]] (the first in a modern Croatian presidential election) was held on 7 February; Mesić won, picking up 56.9 percent of the vote. Voter turnout was 63.0 percent in the first round, and 60.9 percent in the runoff.<ref name="Nohlen-Stover-410-420">{{cite book|title=Elections in Europe: A Data Handbook|first1=Dieter|last1=Nohlen|first2=Philip|last2=Stöver|publisher=Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft Mbh & Co|year=2010|isbn=978-3-8329-5609-7|pages=410–420|access-date=13 November 2011|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zUbQRQAACAAJ}}</ref> The first round of the [[2005 Croatian presidential election|fourth presidential election]] was held on 2 January 2005. No candidate secured a first-round victory; however, incumbent Mesić enjoyed a substantial lead over the other candidates. Mesić received 48.9 percent of the vote; the second- and third-ranked candidates ([[Jadranka Kosor]] of the HDZ and [[Boris Mikšić]], an independent) managed only 20.3 and 17.8 percent, respectively, of voter support. Ultimately, Mesić won reelection by receiving 65.9 percent of votes in the runoff held on 16 January. The [[Croatian presidential election, 2009–2010|fifth presidential election]] was held on 27 December 2009 with [[Ivo Josipović]] (SDP) picking up 32.4 percent of the vote, followed by [[Milan Bandić]] (independent), [[Andrija Hebrang (son)|Andrija Hebrang]] (HDZ) and [[Nadan Vidošević]] (independent) receiving 14.8, 12.0 and 11.3 percent of the vote respectively. The second round of voting was held on 10 January 2010, when Josipović defeated Bandić with 60.3 percent of the vote.<ref name="Arhiva-Izbora"/> The [[2014–15 Croatian presidential election|sixth presidential election]] was held on 28 December 2014 and saw only four candidates of which none have won majority. In the first round incumbent [[Ivo Josipović]] won most of votes in front of second [[Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović]] (HDZ) and third [[Ivan Vilibor Sinčić]] (ŽZ). The second round was held on 11 January 2015 with Grabar Kitarović closely wins in front of Josipović who become first Croatian president who was not re-elected. The [[2019–20 Croatian presidential election|most recent Croatian presidential election]] was held on 22 December 2019 and 5 January 2020. First round saw 11 candidates running for presidency, three of which has won more than 20% of votes each, what makes it the closest run among top three [[Zoran Milanović]] (29.55), [[Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović|Kolinda Grabar Kitarović]] (26.55) and [[Miroslav Škoro]] (24.45). In the second round a battle between incumbent [[Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović|Kolinda Grabar Kitarović]] and ex-prime minister [[Zoran Milanović]](SDP) was held as Milanović won by the margin of more than 5 [[Percentage point|p.p]].

{| class="wikitable"
! Election || Candidates || First round<br/>voter turnout || First round results<br/>(candidates with more than 10% of votes) || Second round<br/>voter turnout || Winner
|-align=center
| [[1992 Croatian presidential election|1992]] || 8 || 74.90% || [[Franjo Tuđman]] (57.8%), [[Dražen Budiša]] (22.3%) ||{{n/a}}|| Franjo Tuđman
|-align=center
| [[1997 Croatian presidential election|1997]] || 3 || 54.62% || Franjo Tuđman (61.4%), [[Zdravko Tomac]] (21.0%), [[Vlado Gotovac]] (17.6%) ||{{n/a}}|| Franjo Tuđman
|-align=center
| [[2000 Croatian presidential election|2000]] || 9 || 62.98% || [[Stjepan Mesić]] (41.3%), Dražen Budiša (27.8%), [[Mate Granić]] (22.6%) || 60.88% || Stjepan Mesić
|-align=center
| [[2005 Croatian presidential election|2005]] || 13 || 50.57% || Stjepan Mesić (48.9%), [[Jadranka Kosor]] (20.3%), [[Boris Mikšić]] (17.8%) || 51.04% || Stjepan Mesić
|-align=center
| [[2009–10 Croatian presidential election|2009–10]] || 12 || 43.96% || [[Ivo Josipović]] (32.4%), [[Milan Bandić]] (14.8%),<br/>[[Andrija Hebrang (son)|Andrija Hebrang]] (12.04%), [[Nadan Vidošević]] (11.33%)|| 50.13% || Ivo Josipović
|-align=center
| [[2014–15 Croatian presidential election|2014–15]] || 4 || 47.12% || [[Ivo Josipović]] (38.46%), [[Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović]] (37.22%),<br/>[[Ivan Vilibor Sinčić]] (16.42%)|| 59.06% || Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović
|-align=center
| [[2019–20 Croatian presidential election|2019–20]] || 11 || 51.18% || [[Zoran Milanović]] (29.55%), [[Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović]] (26.65%),<br/>[[Miroslav Škoro]] (24.45%)|| 54.99% || Zoran Milanović
|-align=center
| [[2024–25 Croatian presidential election|2024–25]] || 8 || 46.01% || [[Zoran Milanović]] (49.68%), [[Dragan Primorac]] (19.59%) || 44.17%|| Zoran Milanović
|-
! colspan=6|Source: State Election Commission<ref name="Arhiva-Izbora"/>
|}

==Local elections==
{{Infobox election
| election_name      = 
| country            = 
| type               = presidential
| ongoing            = no
| seats_for_election = All governors, mayors and members of county and city councils
| election_date      = 
| 2blank             = Prefects
| 3blank             = Prefects +/-
| 4blank             = Councillors
| 5blank             = Councillors %
| 6blank             = Councillors +/-

| map_image          = 
| map_size           = 
| map_caption        =

| map2_image = Croatia_election-Counties.png
| map2_size = 200px
| map2_caption = Result of the elections, showing elected [[List of current prefects of Croatia|county prefects]]<br />{{Legend2|{{party color|Croatian Democratic Union}}|[[Croatian Democratic Union|HDZ]]}} {{Legend2|{{party color|Social Democratic Party of Croatia}}|[[Social Democratic Party of Croatia|SDP]]}} {{Legend2|{{party color|We can! (Croatia)}}|[[We can! (Croatia)|We Can!]]}} {{Legend2|{{party color|Istrian Democratic Assembly}}|[[Istrian Democratic Assembly|IDS]]}} {{Legend2|5ADA5A|}}Mreža {{Legend2|{{party color|Independent}}|[[Independent (politician)|Independent]]}}}}

{{Main|2025 Croatian local elections}}
{{see also|Counties of Croatia|Administrative divisions of Croatia}}

Croatia's county [[prefect]]s, [[List of cities in Croatia|city]] and [[Municipalities of Croatia|town]] mayors are elected to four-year terms by a majority of votes cast within applicable local government units, with a runoff election if no candidate achieves a majority in the first round of voting.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Narodne Novine|language=hr|url=http://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/329427.html|title=Zakon o izborima općinskih načelnika, gradonačelnika, župana i gradonačelnika grada Zagreba|trans-title=Municipal Mayor, City Mayor, County Prefect and the City of Zagreb Mayor Election Act|date=24 October 2007|access-date=9 November 2011}}</ref> Members of county, city and municipal councils are elected to four-year terms through proportional representation, with the entire local government unit as a single constituency. The number of council members is defined by the councils themselves, based on applicable legislation. Electoral committees are tasked with determining whether the national minorities are represented in the council (as required by the constitution), adding further members to the council (who belong to the appropriate minorities) by selecting them from unelected-candidate lists.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Narodne Novine|language=hr|title=Zakon o izboru članova predstavničkih tijela jedinica lokalne i područne (regionalne) samouprave|trans-title=Members of Local and Regional Self-Government Representation Bodies Election Act|url=http://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/288356.html|date=5 April 2005|access-date=9 November 2011}}</ref> Election silence, as in all other elections in Croatia, is enforced on the day of the elections and the previous day, ending at 7:00&nbsp;pm when the polling stations close and exit polls may be announced.<ref name="Silence-Loc">{{cite news|newspaper=[[Jutarnji list]]|url=http://www.jutarnji.hr/lokalni-izbori--pocela-izborna-sutnja/205765/|language=hr|title=Lokalni izbori: Počela izborna šutnja|trans-title=Local elections: Election silence starts|date=16 May 2009|access-date=21 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151023113617/http://www.jutarnji.hr/lokalni-izbori--pocela-izborna-sutnja/205765/|archive-date=23 October 2015}}</ref>

Number of seats in each county, city or municipality is defined by the Law on Local and Regional Self-Government and depends on their population.<ref>{{Cite web|date=24 December 2020|title=Zakon o lokalnoj i područnoj samoupravi|trans-title=Law on Local and Regional Self-Government|url=https://www.zakon.hr/z/132/Zakon-o-lokalnoj-i-podru%C4%8Dnoj-(regionalnoj)-samoupravi|url-status=live|access-date=21 November 2021|website=Zakon.hr|language=hr|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100323044455/http://www.zakon.hr:80/z/132/Zakon-o-lokalnoj-i-podru%C4%8Dnoj-(regionalnoj)-samoupravi |archive-date=23 March 2010 }}</ref>
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
{| class="wikitable"
!Population of the county
!Seats
|-
|with more than 300,000 inhabitants
|align=right |47
|-
|between 200,000 and 300,000 inhabitants
|align=right |41
|-
|between 100,000 and 200,000 inhabitants
|align=right |37
|-
|between 60,000 and 100,000 inhabitants
|align=right |31
|-
|up to 60,000 inhabitants
|align=right |27
|}
{{col-3}}
{| class="wikitable"
!Population of the cities and municipalities
!Seats
|-
|with more than 300,000 inhabitants
|align=right |47
|-
|between 200,000 and 300,000 inhabitants
|align=right |41
|-
|between 100,000 and 200,000 inhabitants
|align=right |31
|-
|between 60,000 and 100,000 inhabitants
|align=right |27
|-
|between 35,000 and 60,000 inhabitants
|align=right |21
|-
|between 20,000 and 35,000 inhabitants
|align=right |19
|-
|between 10,000 and 20,000 inhabitants
|align=right |15
|-
|between 2,500 and 10,000 inhabitants
|align=right |13
|-
|between 1,000 and 2,500 inhabitants
|align=right |9
|-
|up to 1,000 inhabitants
|align=right |7
|}
{{col-3}}
[[File:Lokalni izbori u Hrvatskoj 2021.svg|right|thumb|Results of the election, showing elected municipal and city mayors]]
{{col-end}}
Of the nine nationwide local elections held in Croatia since 1990, the most recent were the [[2021 Croatian local elections|2021 local elections]] to elect county prefects and councils, city and town councils and mayors. In these elections, HDZ-led coalitions won a 13 county-prefects, SDP-led coalitions won two county-prefects while the one was taken by Možemo, IDS and Mreža each and three were independent. In elections for city mayors 56 were won by HDZ candidates, 29 was independent and 22 was from SDP, while rest of 21 mayors are won by some of other 13 parties.<ref name="Arhiva-Izbora" />

===National Minorities Councils and Representatives Elections===
{{See also|2023 Croatian national minorities councils and representatives elections}}

National Minorities Councils are bodies that enable national minorities participation in public life and management of local affairs.<ref name="Ministarstvo uprave">{{Cite web |url=https://uprava.gov.hr/izbori-za-clanove-vijeca-i-predstavnike-nacionalnih-manjina/858 |title=Izbori za članove vijeća i predstavnike nacionalnih manjina |publisher=[[Ministry of Public Administration (Croatia)]] |access-date=5 May 2019}}</ref> Elections for councils and representatives are regulated by the [[Constitutional Act on the Rights of National Minorities in the Republic of Croatia]] and the Law on Election of Councils and Representatives of National Minorities.<ref name="Ministarstvo uprave"/> National minorities are electing municipal and county councils or representatives depending on relative and absolute minority population.<ref name="Ministarstvo uprave"/> Councils are elected in municipalities and cities in which minority population constitute at least 1,5% of the total population and there is at least 200 members of certain minority group.<ref name="Ministarstvo uprave"/> County councils are elected if there is more than 500 members of certain minority in a given Croatian county.<ref name="Ministarstvo uprave"/> Units with smaller numbers of members of certain minority, but in which there is still 100 or more members of given minority are electing minority representatives.<ref name="Ministarstvo uprave"/> 10 members are elected into municipal minority councils, 15 into city councils and 25 into county councils.<ref name="Ministarstvo uprave"/>

Minority elections are called by decision of the [[Government of the Republic of Croatia]].<ref name="Ministarstvo uprave"/> The State Election Commission is proposing to the government the fees for the work of the members of the electoral bodies.<ref name="Ministarstvo uprave"/> Bodies responsible for the implementation of the elections are the State Election Commission, county election commissions, the Election Commission of the City of Zagreb, town and municipal election commissions and polling boards.<ref name="Ministarstvo uprave"/>

==European Parliament elections==
{{see also|European Parliament election, 2019 (Croatia)|Accession of Croatia to the European Union}}
Croatia first elected 12 members of the [[European Parliament]] (MEPs) in a [[by-election]] held after [[Accession of Croatia to the European Union|its accession to the EU]] in 2013. Thereafter, its number of members in the European Parliament was reduced to 11 and the country elected them as part of the regular election in [[2014 European Parliament election in Croatia|2014]]. Reallocation of seats followed [[Brexit]] so Croatia have returned to 12 seates in [[2019 European Parliament election|2019 elections]]. The elections are regulated by special legislation enacted by the ''[[Sabor]]''. Provisions of the legislation are very similar to the parliamentary-election legislation, with the main difference being that the 12 members of the European Parliament are elected in a single constituency encompassing all of Croatia, instead of multiple constituencies used in the parliamentary elections.<ref name="EP-Elect-Act"/>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Seats won in elections for [[Member of the European Parliament|Members of the European Parliament for Croatia]] by individual parties<br/>European Parliament elections in Croatia (since 2013)
|-
! Party (European Parliament group) || [[2013 European Parliament election in Croatia|2013]] || [[2014 European Parliament election in Croatia|2014]] || [[2019 European Parliament election in Croatia|2019]]
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Croatian Conservative Party]] ([[European Conservatives and Reformists Group|ECR]]) || - || - || 1 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Croatian Democratic Union]] ([[European People's Party|EPP]]) || 5 || 4 || 4 
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Croatian Labourists - Labour Party]] ([[European United Left - Nordic Green Left|EUL-NGL]]) || 1 || 0 || 0
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Croatian Party of Rights dr. Ante Starčević]] ([[European Conservatives and Reformists Group|ECR]])|| 1 || 1 || 0
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Croatian Peasant Party]] ([[European People's Party|EPP]]) || 0 || 1 || 0
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats]] ([[Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe|ALDE]]) || 0 || 1 || 0
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Croatian Sustainable Development]] ([[The Greens - European Free Alliance|Greens/EFA]]) || - || 1 || 0
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Human Blockade]] ([[Non-Inscrits|NI]]) || 0 || 0 || 1
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Istrian Democratic Assembly]] ([[Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe|ALDE]]) || 0 || 1 || 1
|-align=center
| align=left|[[Social Democratic Party of Croatia]] ([[Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats|S&D]]) || 5 || 2 || 4 
|-align=center
| align=left|Independent || - || - || 1 
|-align=center
| align=left|'''Total seats''' || '''12''' || '''11''' || '''12'''
|-
! colspan=7|Source: State Election Commission<ref name="Arhiva-Izbora"/><ref name="CC-1997"/>
|}

==Referendums==
A [[referendum]] in Croatia can be called by the Parliament or the President on any issue falling within the purview of parliament, or on any other issue the president considers important to the independence, unity and existence of the republic. Since the constitution was amended in 2001, parliament is obligated by the constitution to call for a referendum if signatures of 10 percent of registered Croatian voters are collected. The signatures, by law, must be collected within a 15-day period.<ref>{{cite web|title=Zakon o izmjenama i dopunama Zakona o referendumu i drugim oblicima osobnog sudjelovanja u obavljanju državne vlasti i lokalne samouprave|trans-title=Act on amendments and additions to the Act on referendums and other forms of personal involvement in execution of state authority and local self-government|language=hr|url=http://digured.hr/cadial/searchdoc.php?lang=hr&query=zakon&searchText=on&searchTitle=on&searchDescriptors=on&resultlimitnum=10&filteracttype=all&filtereuchapter=all&filterfields=all&action=search&resultoffset=20&annotate=on&bid=KwJ2C0%2fEtfeDAkr1gXzfmw%3d%3d|publisher=HIDRA|access-date=4 February 2012}}</ref> Referendums are regulated by Article 87 of the constitution of Croatia which requires that the parliament passes an act on each referendum and that the outcome is binding unless the referendum is called as an advisory referendum.<ref name="Ustav-RH" />

There have been three referendums in modern Croatia: [[1991 Croatian independence referendum|Croatian independence referendum]], [[2012 Croatian European Union membership referendum|Croatian European Union membership referendum]] and [[2013 Croatian constitutional referendum|Marriage definition referendum]], and in all three majority voted in favor.<ref name="Referendum-1991-result">{{cite web|publisher=State Election Committee|url=http://www.izbori.hr/arhiva/pdf/1991/1991_Rezultati_Referendum.pdf|language=hr|title=Izviješće o provedenom referendumu|trans-title=Report on performed referendum|date=22 May 1991|access-date=27 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227183944/http://www.izbori.hr/arhiva/pdf/1991/1991_Rezultati_Referendum.pdf|archive-date=27 February 2012}}</ref><ref name="SEC-results">{{cite web|publisher=State Election Committee|url=http://www.izbori.hr/2012Referendum/rezultati/rezultati.html|title=Službeni nepotpuni rezultati državnog referenduma|trans-title=Official incomplete results of the state referendum|access-date=22 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125043432/http://www.izbori.hr/2012Referendum/rezultati/rezultati.html|archive-date=25 January 2012}}</ref> There have been four other public initiatives to collect the support of 10 percent of voters for a referendum, none of which were successful: concerning Croatian cooperation with the [[International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia]],<ref>{{cite web|title=HSP: Danas ćemo imati sto tisuća potpisa za pokretanje referenduma o suradnji s Haagom|date=1 October 2007|language=hr|trans-title=HSP: Today we will have a hundred thousand endorsements to initiate a referendum on cooperation with the Hague tribunal|url=http://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/hsp-danas-cemo-imati-sto-tisuca-potpisa-za-pokretanje-referenduma-o-suradnji-s-haagom/360128.aspx|access-date=10 January 2012|publisher=index.hr}}</ref> concerning [[Croatia–NATO relations|accession of Croatia to NATO]] in 2008,<ref>{{cite web|title=Počinje prikupljanje potpisa za referendum o ulasku Hrvatske u NATO|url=http://dnevnik.hr/vijesti/hrvatska/pocinje-prikupljanje-potpisa-za-referendum-o-ulasku-hrvatske-u-nato.html/|access-date=10 January 2012|date=29 March 2008|publisher=[[Nova TV (Croatia)]]|language=hr|trans-title=Started collecting of endorsements for Croatian NATO membership referendum}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=15 tisuća građana podržalo referendum o NATOu|date=30 March 2008|language=hr|trans-title=15 thousand citizens support the NATO referendum|url=http://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/15-tisuca-gradjana-podrzalo-referendum-o-natou/380519.aspx|access-date=10 January 2012|publisher=index.hr}}</ref> concerning Arbitration Agreement on [[Croatia–Slovenia border disputes|Croatian-Slovenian border issues]] in 2009,<ref>{{cite web|title=Inicijativa "More je kopno" prikuplja potpise za referendum o granici sa Slovenijom|trans-title="Sea is land" initiative collecting endorsements for a referendum on the Slovenian border|language=hr|date=7 November 2009|url=http://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/inicijativa-more-je-kopno-prikuplja-potpise-za-referendum-o-granici-sa-slovenijom/458925.aspx|access-date=10 January 2012|publisher=index.hr}}</ref> and [[2010 Croatian labour law referendum|concerning Labour Act in 2010]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Referenduma će biti, ali ne o ZOR-u nego o referendumu|trans-title=There will be referendum on the referendums instead of the Labour Act|date=23 November 2010|first=Mislav|last=Bago|url=http://dnevnik.hr/vijesti/hrvatska/referenduma-o-zakonu-o-radu-ipak-ce-biti.html|access-date=10 January 2012|publisher=[[Nova TV (Croatia)]]|language=hr}}</ref>

==Political campaigns==
[[File:Round table presidential.jpg|thumb|left|2009–2010 presidential election debate|alt=Four men and a woman sitting in white armchairs with microphones]]
Any Croatian citizen aged 18 or over may become a candidate in presidential, parliamentary or local elections. In order to become an official candidate, 10,000 signatures from Croatian citizens aged 18 or over must be collected and submitted to the State Electoral Commission. This must be done within 12 days following the publication of the decision to hold elections in [[Narodne Novine]], the [[official gazette]] of the Republic of Croatia. The endorsements are made in a list comprising name, address and [[Personal identification number (Croatia)|personal identification number]] (PIN) of each of the citizens supporting a particular candidate. Each citizen may only endorse a single candidate. The election commission verifies the endorsement lists, publishes the candidate list in all daily newspapers in Croatia (and on [[Croatian Radiotelevision]]) and delivers it to the Croatian diplomatic missions for publication.<ref name="President-Elect-Act">{{cite web|publisher=HIDRA|url=http://hidra.srce.hr/arhiva/263/18315/www.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeno/1992/0488.htm|language=hr|title=Zakon o izboru predsjednika Republike Hrvatske|trans-title=President of the Republic Election Act|date=17 April 1992|access-date=22 November 2011}}</ref>

In parliamentary elections, 14-member election lists may be submitted to the State Electoral Commission for any number of constituencies in Croatia. A 14-member list of candidates may also be submitted for the Croatian diaspora constituency, while a two-member list can be submitted for the ethnic-minority representatives. In each case, 500 endorsements are required for an election list to become valid. The lists may be supported by one or more political parties, or by a group of voters as an independent list. No one may be a candidate on two or more lists simultaneously.<ref name="Parliament-Elect-Act">{{cite web|publisher=HIDRA|url=http://hidra.srce.hr/arhiva/263/18315/www.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeno/1999/1854.htm|language=hr|title=Zakon o izborima zastupnika u Hrvatski Državni Sabor|trans-title=Croatian State Parliament Representatives Elections Act|date=5 November 1999|access-date=22 November 2011}}</ref>

The same procedure applies to local elections, except that council-election lists require 100, 150 and 500 endorsements for town, city and county-council lists respectively. The city of Zagreb council is treated as a county council under election law.<ref name="Local-Elect-Act">{{cite web|publisher=HIDRA|url=http://hidra.srce.hr/arhiva/263/18315/www.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeno/2001/0570.htm|language=hr|title=Zakon o izboru članova predstavničkih tijela jedinica lokalne i područne (regionalne) samouprave|trans-title=Election of members of local and regional self government representation bodies Act|date=11 April 2001|access-date=22 November 2011}}</ref> The number of voter signatures on mayoral and county prefect candidate nominations ranges between 50 (for mayoral elections in towns of up to 1,000 residents), 100 (for other town mayoral candidates), 500 (for mayoral elections in cities of up to 35,000 residents), 1,000 (in cities with populations between 35,000 and 100,000) and 2,000 endorsements for cities of 100,000 residents or more (with the exception of Zagreb). County prefect election candidates require 2,500 endorsements, and candidates running for mayor of Zagreb need 5,000 voter endorsements for their nominations to become valid.<ref name="Mayor-Elect-Act">{{cite web|publisher=HIDRA|url=http://hidra.srce.hr/arhiva/263/26986/www.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeno/2007/3178.htm|title=Zakon o izborima općinskih načelnika, gradonačelnika, župana i gradonačelnika grada Zagreba|trans-title=Election of municipal mayors, city mayors, county prefects, and the city of Zagreb mayor Act|language=hr|date=24 October 2007|access-date=22 November 2011}}</ref>

Candidates running for European Parliament seats need not be Croatian citizens and may hold citizenship in any [[member state of the European Union]], while having a permanent (or temporary) residence in Croatia. Their nominations are valid if endorsed by 5,000 Croatian voters.<ref name="EP-Elect-Act">{{cite web|publisher=HIDRA|url=http://hidra.srce.hr/arhiva/263/58518/narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2010_07_92_2591.html|title=Zakon o izboru zastupnika iz Republike Hrvatske u Europski Parlament|trans-title=Election of members of the European Parliament in the Republic of Croatia|language=hr|date=24 July 2010|access-date=22 November 2011}}</ref>

===Funding===
The funding of political parties, independent politicians and election campaigns is relatively highly regulated in comparison with developed western democracies.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Politička misao|publisher=[[University of Zagreb]], Faculty of Political Sciences|issn=0032-3241|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=38407|language=hr|volume=38|issue=4|date=April 2002|first=Zdravko|last=Petak|title=Usporedna analiza financiranja stranaka i izbora u Hrvatskoj i svijetu|trans-title=A Comparative Analysis of Financing Parties and Elections in Croatia and Abroad|pages=33–50|access-date=22 November 2011}}</ref> Applicable legislation encompasses cash receipts, provision of free services (except the labour of volunteers), and products and other forms of support (including membership fees). The legislation also stipulates that the [[government budget]] provides funding for political parties and non-partisan political representatives in the amount of 0.05 percent of the previous year's budget expenditures. Additional funds are appropriated in local government budgets. The funds are distributed to elected members of parliament and councils, and the political parties with which they are affiliated receive 10 percent of the funds. Each election candidate (or [[Slate (elections)|slate]]) must have a dedicated bank account to handle election-campaign donations, other related funding, and all campaign-related expenditures. The maximum donation to a single party, candidate or slate made in a year is also regulated. In cases of individuals it is set at 30,000&nbsp;kuna ({{circa}} 4,050&nbsp;euro), regardless of purpose. Companies and other legal persons are limited to the same amount in local elections; 100,000&nbsp;kuna ({{circa}} 13,500&nbsp;euro) for parliamentary or European Parliament elections and 200,000&nbsp;kuna ({{circa}} 27,000&nbsp;euro) for presidential elections to any one candidate, party or slate (whichever is applicable). Total campaign expenditures are also limited to 8&nbsp;million kuna ({{circa}} 1.08&nbsp;million euro) per candidate in presidential elections, 1.5&nbsp;million kuna ({{circa}} 202,000&nbsp;euro) per candidate (or slate) in European Parliament or parliamentary elections, 500,000&nbsp;kuna ({{circa}} 67,600&nbsp;euro) per candidate in Zagreb mayoral elections and 400,000&nbsp;kuna ({{circa}} 54,000&nbsp;euro) per candidate in county-prefect or mayoral elections in cities of 35,000 residents or larger and in county seats. Mayoral election-campaign expenditures in other cities and towns is also limited, depending on the local government's population: 250,000&nbsp;kuna ({{circa}} 33,800&nbsp;euro) if the population exceeds 10,000 residents, 100,000 kuna ({{circa}} 13,500&nbsp;euro) in population units of 3,000–10,000 and up to 50,000&nbsp;kuna ({{circa}} 6,750&nbsp;euro) in smaller self-governing units. All candidates and parties (or slates) are legally required to publish financial reports detailing their funding, which are audited by the State Electoral Commission and the State Audit Office. They are also legally required to turn over all receipts exceeding the legal limits in favour of the central government budget within eight days.<ref name="Financiranje">{{cite web|publisher=HIDRA|language=hr|url=http://hidra.srce.hr/arhiva/263/67552/narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2011_02_24_495.html|title=Zakon o financiranju političkih aktivnosti i izborne promidžbe|trans-title=Political activity and election campaign funding Act|date=23 February 2011|access-date=22 November 2011}}</ref>

In the 2007 parliamentary elections, the leading political parties reported campaign spending as follows: the Croatian Democratic Union spent 19.5&nbsp;million kuna ({{circa|lk=no|2.6&nbsp;million}} euro), the Social Democratic Party of Croatia spent 15.8&nbsp;million kuna ({{circa|lk=no|2.1&nbsp;million}} euro), the Croatian People's Party – Liberal Democrats spent 9&nbsp;million kuna ({{circa|lk=no|1.2&nbsp;million}} euro), while the Croatian Peasant Party led coalition reported spending 8&nbsp;million kuna ({{circa|lk=no|1.08&nbsp;million}} euro) and the Croatian Party of Rights spent a similar amount.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=GONG|url=http://www.gong.hr/page.aspx?PageID=54|title=Parlamentarni izbori|trans-title=Parliamentary elections|language=hr|access-date=22 November 2011}}</ref>

All presidential election candidates receiving at least 10 percent of the vote are awarded an equal sum as election-campaign reimbursement. The amount is decided by the government at least 30 days before the election.<ref name="President-Elect-Act"/> This amount was set at 250,000 kuna ({{circa|lk=no|33,800}} euro) for the 2009–2010 presidential election, representing a 50-percent decrease from the sum determined for the previous presidential election (when the reimbursement sum was set at half-a-million kuna).<ref>{{cite web|publisher=t-portal|url=http://izbori.tportal.hr/arhiva/izbori/42230/Predsjednickim-kandidatima-upola-manje-novca.html|language=hr|title=Predsjedničkim kandidatima upola manje novca|trans-title=Presidential candidates receive only a half of the previous sum|date=5 November 2009|access-date=22 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120526072936/http://izbori.tportal.hr/arhiva/izbori/42230/Predsjednickim-kandidatima-upola-manje-novca.html|archive-date=26 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Index.hr]]|language=hr|url=http://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/vlada-raspisala-predsjednicke-izbore/236853.aspx|title=Vlada raspisala predsjedničke izbore|trans-title=Government calls presidential elections|date=30 November 2004|access-date=22 November 2011}}</ref> Similarly, the government also reimburses the political parties and slates for each parliamentary seat won. For the 2011 parliamentary election, each seat will be given 180,000&nbsp;kuna ({{circa|lk=no|24,300}}&nbsp;euro). A sum of 30,000&nbsp;kuna ({{circa|lk=no|4,050}}&nbsp;euro) will be paid to parties or candidates failing to win any parliamentary seats if they receive more than five percent of votes in a constituency. In addition, national-minority-representative candidates running on the minority ballot failing to win parliamentary seats (but still winning at least 15 percent of votes in their constituency) will receive 27,000&nbsp;kuna ({{circa|lk=no|3,650}}&nbsp;euro) if the minority comprises less than 1.5 percent of the total [[Demographics of Croatia|population of Croatia]].<ref name="Adriano Milovan"/> All European Parliament election candidates and county-prefect and mayoral-election candidates receiving at least 10 percent of the vote are also entitled to receive reimbursement of costs in an amount determined by the government ahead of each election.<ref name="Financiranje"/>

===Media coverage and promotion===
[[File:Milan bandić poster.JPG|thumb|right|[[Milan Bandić]]'s 2009–2010 presidential election advertisement|alt=Billboard with blue and red letters on white background]]
Legislation requires that all presidential and parliamentary election candidates (or slates) are guaranteed equal opportunity to present and discuss their platforms in the media (in addition to paid advertising).<ref name="President-Elect-Act"/><ref name="Parliament-Elect-Act"/> In 2007 the parliamentary election campaign was covered by all media, including [[Television in Croatia|nationwide television broadcasters]]. During this period the broadcasters, which included Croatian Radiotelevision (HTV), [[RTL Televizija]] (RTL) and [[Nova TV (Croatia)|Nova TV]], aired 27.8&nbsp;hours of news on 22 different programs with 1,196 news reports. This total included 171 reports dealing directly with the elections. Analysis of news coverage indicated evenly-matched coverage of the combined ruling party (HDZ) and official government statements on one side, and the main opposition party (SDP) on the other; each received an average of a 37.5-percent share of coverage and a 33-percent share of interviews aired. HTV and Nova TV gave a slight advantage to the HDZ and the government, while RTL gave more coverage to the SDP. However, the differences were small and resulted in matching ratios. Other political parties received considerably less coverage. HNS received an average of approximately 11 percent of the coverage, HSS received six percent and all other parties received less than five-percent coverage.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Media Research|publisher=Naklada Medijska Istraživanja|issn=1330-6928|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=49641|language=hr|title=(Ne)pristranost u predizbornoj kampanji na hrvatskim televizijama: ravnoteža i raznolikost|trans-title=(Im)partiality in Electoral Campaigns on Croatian Televisions: Balance and Diversity|first=Zrinjka|last=Peruško|pages=5–34|volume=14|issue=2|date=December 2008|access-date=22 November 2011}}</ref> The national television broadcasters air programs where all slates and candidates may talk about their [[Party platform|platforms]] and organise debates.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[RTL Televizija]]|url=http://www.rtl.hr/izborna-zona/vijesti/zdrijeb-redoslijeda-predstavljanja-programa-kandidata-na-rtl-u/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120909131756/http://www.rtl.hr/izborna-zona/vijesti/zdrijeb-redoslijeda-predstavljanja-programa-kandidata-na-rtl-u/|archive-date=9 September 2012|language=hr|title=Ždrijeb redoslijeda predstavljanja programa kandidata na RTL-u|trans-title=Draw of candidate presentation show sequence on the RTL|access-date=22 November 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Nova TV (Croatia)]]|url=http://odluka2011.dnevnik.hr/clanak/vijesti/nova-tv-i-izbori.html|language=hr|title=NOVA TV i izbori|trans-title=NOVA TV and elections|date=16 November 2011|access-date=22 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120527080621/http://odluka2011.dnevnik.hr/clanak/vijesti/nova-tv-i-izbori.html|archive-date=27 May 2012}}</ref>

Paid promotion largely followed this pattern, as the HDZ and the SDP were two dominant parties in that field as well. The [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]] (OSCE) noted in its report that the largest parties reported their advertising spending below their actual value, and the largest proportion of expenditure was for television ads.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]]|url=http://www.osce.org/hr/odihr/elections/croatia/31736|title=Izvješće OESS/ODIHR-ove Ograničene misije za promatranje izbora|trans-title=Report of the OES/ODIHR limited election monitoring mission|date=30 April 2008|access-date=22 November 2011}}</ref> Election silence is in force on the day of the elections and the previous day, ending at 7 in the evening as polling stations close and exit polls may be published after that time.<ref name="Silence-Par"/><ref name="Silnence-Pres"/><ref name="Silence-Loc"/>

==Voting and appeals==
Polling stations are set up in public buildings throughout the country; voters may only vote at their assigned polling station (according to their permanent residence), but voters deployed abroad [[Armed Forces of Croatia|in the armed forces]], voters on Croatian-flagged ships and imprisoned voters are allowed to vote elsewhere. Other voters residing in Croatia, but traveling abroad on election day may vote at Croatian diplomatic missions. Polling stations are open from 7:00&nbsp;am until 7:00&nbsp;pm, but all voters present at the polling stations at closing time are allowed to vote. Polling stations may be closed early if all registered voters have voted. Presidential election ballots contain a list of candidates verified by the State Electoral Commission, in alphabetical order. This entails the name and PIN of each candidate, and the names of political parties endorsing the candidate (or a note that the candidate is running as an independent). The names are preceded by ordinal numbers. Parliamentary election and European Parliament election ballots contain the name of the slate and the name of the person heading the list, in addition to candidates, who is not necessarily a candidate on the particular list, but may be included as a figurehead symbolizing specific political party or a coalition putting forward the list—usually head of the party of coalition at the national level. The lists are in alphabetical order and preceded by an ordinal number. Voting is done by circling the number associated with a particular candidate. Ballots marked otherwise (but positively indicating a candidate for which a vote is cast) are also considered valid. Blank ballots and ballots on which multiple numbers are circled (or multiple candidates are otherwise indicated) are invalid.<ref name="EP-Elect-Act"/><ref name="President-Elect-Act"/><ref name="Parliament-Elect-Act"/><ref name="Local-Elect-Act"/><ref name="Mayor-Elect-Act"/> Official results are announced and published by the State Electoral Commission.<ref name="Arhiva-Izbora"/>

==={{anchor|Voter register}}Voter registry===
The register of voters in Croatia is defined by law. The register lists all citizens of Croatia aged 18 and over, except those who have been stripped of their voting rights by a court decision. The register is organized according to [[legal residence]] ({{lang|hr|prebivalište}}) and maintained by government offices in counties and the city of Zagreb. Each citizen of Croatia may request a review of the register and amendments to personal information (supported by applicable documents). The voter register is used to confirm the right to vote at the polling station and to verify voter endorsements of candidates and election lists submitted to the electoral commissions. Voters who expect to travel in Croatia or abroad on election day may require inclusion in a provisional list which allows them to vote at a polling station other than that assigned to them by residence. Failing that, a voter may obtain an excerpt from the registry on election day to be allowed to vote.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[Narodne Novine]]|url=http://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/297208.html|language=hr|title=Zakon o popisima birača|trans-title=Voter Registries Act|date=16 February 2007|access-date=22 November 2011}}</ref>

A pattern of irregularities has been discovered concerning the updating of the list when citizens of Croatia turn 18 or die. In 2005, it was estimated that the register contained a large number of irregularities and erroneous entries. Since then, public attention was directed to the issue by NGOs monitoring elections through roundtables and advertising campaigns; according to [[GONG (organization)|GONG]]—a NGO specializing in [[election monitoring]]—although the register was improved, there is room for further improvement.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=GONG|url=http://gong.hr/news.aspx?newsID=1179&pageID=141|title=Voter's List|date=23 July 2008|access-date=22 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426000523/http://gong.hr/news.aspx?newsID=1179&pageID=141|archive-date=26 April 2012}}</ref> The 2011 census also indicated a large number of voters in the registry who should not be there, leading to claims that up to a half-million voters in the registry should not be included.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[Jutarnji list]]|language=hr|url=http://www.jutarnji.hr/popis-stanovnistva-u-hrvatskoj-otkrio--pola-milijuna-biraca-je-visak-/956206/|title=Popis stanovništva u Hrvatskoj otkrio: Pola milijuna birača je višak!|trans-title=Croatian Census Revealed: A Half of a Million Surplus Voters!|date=30 June 2011|author=Nikola Sever Šeni|access-date=22 November 2011}}</ref>

===Complaints and appeals===
[[File:Ustavni sud Zagreb.jpg|thumb|left|Building of the [[Constitutional Court of Croatia]] at [[St. Mark's Square, Zagreb]]|alt=Tan, older two-story building with flag in front]]
Political parties, candidates and voters who have endorsed a particular candidate (or state) in presidential, parliamentary or European Parliament elections may file complaints with the State Electoral Commission regarding irregularities in the election process within 48 hours of a disputed activity. In the European Parliament elections, voter complaints are required to be endorsed by at least 100 voters (or five percent of the voters). If the commission finds the complaint valid, it will order the part of the election process directly affected by the disputed activity to be repeated (possibly postponing the election date if there is insufficient time left). The commission must provide its decision within 48 hours after the complaint is submitted. The decision may be appealed before the [[Constitutional Court of Croatia]] within 48 hours of its receipt and once petitioned, the court must return a ruling within 48 hours.<ref name="EP-Elect-Act"/><ref name="President-Elect-Act"/><ref name="Parliament-Elect-Act"/> In local council elections, complaints are processed by county, city or town electoral commissions (as appropriate). In mayoral elections, complaints are filed with the county electoral commission. This does not apply to Zagreb mayoral elections, where complaints are submitted to the State Electoral Commission (the case also in county prefect elections). The time allowances and appeals procedure are the same as for presidential and parliamentary elections.<ref name="Local-Elect-Act"/><ref name="Mayor-Elect-Act"/>

===Monitoring===
Elections are governed by the State Electoral Commission and electoral boards. Members of those bodies are required to have a university degree in law, and they may not be members of any political party. The State Electoral Commission prepares and manages elections in accordance with legislation, appoints lower-ranking election-commission and board members, issues directives to such bodies and supervises their work. The State Electoral Commission compiles and publishes candidate lists, supervises the legality of political campaigns and compiles and publishes election results. All members of election boards (or their legal deputies) must be present at assigned polling stations at all times while the polling station is open. The board verifies the identity of voters against the list of registered voters and records the turnout. The turnout number is later checked against number of votes cast; if the number of votes exceeds the turnout, the election at that polling station must be repeated. Votes are tallied by hand, and that information is forwarded (along with all other records kept at the polling station) to the State Electoral Commission.<ref name="EP-Elect-Act"/><ref name="President-Elect-Act"/><ref name="Parliament-Elect-Act"/><ref name="Local-Elect-Act"/><ref name="Mayor-Elect-Act"/>

Further monitoring is performed by [[non-governmental organization]]s specializing in election monitoring, such as GONG.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=GONG|url=http://www.gong.hr/page.aspx?PageID=6|title=About GONG|access-date=22 November 2011}}</ref> There are also other monitoring organisations headquartered in Croatia and abroad; the OSCE set up a limited monitoring mission to observe the 2009–2010 presidential elections.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe|url=http://www.osce.org/hr/odihr/40983|title=Privremeno izviješće 8–17. prosinca 2009.|trans-title=Provisional report 8–17 December 2009|language=hr|access-date=22 November 2011}}</ref> The last parliamentary election (held in 2007) was monitored by 8,540 observers fielded by a number of organisations and political parties.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[Jutarnji list]]|language=hr|url=http://www.jutarnji.hr/hrvatske-izbore-pratit-ce-rekordnih-8-540-promatraca/276839/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120804235015/http://www.jutarnji.hr/hrvatske-izbore-pratit-ce-rekordnih-8-540-promatraca/276839/|archive-date=4 August 2012|title=Hrvatske izbore pratit će rekordnih 8.540 promatrača|trans-title=Croatian Elections Monitored by 8,540 Observers|date=19 November 2007|access-date=22 November 2011}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Croatia}}
* [[Electoral calendar]]
* [[Electoral system]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=upper-alpha|colwidth=30em}} <!-- for template - please don't remove! -->
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==

{{Croatian elections | state = uncollapsed}}
{{Yugoslavian elections}}
{{Elections in Austria-Hungary}}
{{Croatia topics|state=collapsed}}
{{Elections in Europe}}

[[Category:Elections in Croatia| ]]