Voting in Slovakia in early elections is not mandatory due to low turnout

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — A nationwide referendum in Slovakia to amend the country’s constitution to allow early elections failed to yield legally binding results due to too low turnout.

The country’s statistics office said on Sunday that the vast majority of voters voted “yes” – 97.5% – on the referendum question. However, the Slovak State Electoral Commission stated that the turnout was only 27.25%. To be legally valid, the ballot turnout must be over 50% in a country of 5.4 million people.

Government supporters largely boycotted the referendum, which was supported by the opposition.

President Zuzana Chaputova took the decision to vote last year after three opposition parties gathered more than 380,000 signatures in support of the move.

The constitution does not currently provide for early elections. The referendum would change the constitution to allow this if it were approved by Parliament or in a referendum.

Of the nine referendums that have taken place since Slovakia gained independence in 1993 following the division of Czechoslovakia, only the referendum on the country’s accession to the European Union in 2003 met the 50 percent turnout requirement.

Slovaks can still hold elections earlier than the next regular elections, scheduled for February 2024, if parliament still votes for the constitutional amendment.

The decision to hold the referendum was taken before the coalition government led by Prime Minister Eduard Heger fell in December, losing a vote of no confidence in parliament after months of political crisis.

Chaputova gave parliament until the end of January to make early elections possible. She asked Heger’s cabinet to remain in power with limited powers as an interim government.

If the political parties fail to meet the deadline set by the president, Chaputova said she will elect a new prime minister and swear in his or her government.

Recent polls have shown that the opposition has a good chance of winning if elections are held soon.

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