Elections to the National Council of the Slovak Republic in 2027: date, parties and how to vote

Members of the National Council are elected for four years, and elections must be held before the term runs out. The last elections took place on Saturday 30 September 2023, so the next regular elections are due in September 2027 at the latest.

The exact day is chosen by the Speaker of the National Council, who must call the elections at least 110 days in advance. The decision is published in the Collection of Laws (Zbierka zákonov), and the official campaign starts on that day. Voting takes place on a single day, always a Saturday, from 7:00 to 22:00; a mayor can open polling stations up to two hours earlier if local conditions require it.

Elections can also be brought forward: Parliament can shorten its term by a resolution that sets the date, but it needs the votes of at least three fifths of all members (90 of 150). As of 15.10.2026, no such proposal had been submitted.

The seats are allocated nationally, in three steps:

1. Threshold. A party needs at least 5% of valid votes, a coalition of two or three parties 7% and a coalition of four or more 10%. Votes for lists below the threshold are left out of the allocation.
2. Quota. The valid votes of the lists above the threshold are added up and divided by 151. Each list gets one seat for every full quota it receives, and any seats left over go to the lists with the largest remainders.
3. Candidates. Within each list, seats go to the candidates in their order on the ballot paper. However, candidates circled by at least 3% of the list’s voters move to the front, ranked by their number of preferential votes.

In 2023, 25 lists ran and 7 won seats. The lists below the threshold received 16.7% of valid votes between them; the closest were Republika (4.75%) and Aliancia (4.38%).

Preferential votes matter: in 2023, 83% of voters with a valid vote circled at least one candidate.

Who can vote. Slovak citizens who are 18 or over on election day, including those living abroad. Foreign nationals living in Slovakia, including citizens of other European Union countries, cannot vote in National Council elections (they can vote in municipal and regional elections).

Who can be elected. Slovak citizens who are 21 or over on election day and have permanent residence in Slovakia. Candidates can only run on the list of a party or a coalition.

At the polling station. On election day, a Saturday, from 7:00 to 22:00, at the polling station for your permanent address. You show your identity card (občiansky preukaz) and receive the ballot papers of all parties and an envelope. Behind the screen you put one ballot paper in the envelope, then drop the envelope in the ballot box. Unused ballot papers go in a separate box.

Preferential votes. On the ballot paper you choose, you can circle the numbers of up to four candidates. This is optional. If you circle more than four, the vote still counts for the party but the circles are ignored. Two or more ballot papers in the envelope make the vote invalid.

Voting somewhere else. If you will not be at home on election day, ask your municipality for a voting certificate (hlasovací preukaz): with it you can vote at any polling station in Slovakia. You can apply in person until the last working day before election day, or in writing or by email so that the application arrives at least 15 working days before. A lost certificate is not replaced.

Voting at home. For serious reasons, especially health, you can ask your municipality, or on election day the polling station, to bring a mobile ballot box to you within the polling district.

Is voting compulsory? No. Voting is not compulsory in Slovakia.

Who. Slovak citizens who have no permanent residence in Slovakia, and those who have it but will be abroad on election day.

By post. Under the law in force, you vote by post. Apply to the Ministry of the Interior at least 52 days before election day, online or on paper (with a copy of your identity card or Slovak passport). The ministry sends you the envelopes at least 40 days before; if you applied online, you print the ballot paper from its website. You can circle up to four candidates, as at a polling station.

Deadline. Postal votes only count if they reach the Ministry of the Interior by 12:00 on the last working day before election day. The voter pays the postage. Anyone registered to vote by post cannot get a voting certificate unless they cancel the registration.

Embassies. Under the law in force, you cannot vote at Slovak embassies in National Council elections. The amendment being debated in Parliament would replace postal voting with voting at embassies and consulates.

The official campaign starts on the day the elections are called and ends 48 hours before election day. From then until voting ends (from Thursday at 0:00 to Saturday at 22:00), it is forbidden to publish the results of polls on voting intentions, including surveys that are not representative. During the same period radio, television, newspapers and news agencies may not publish information for or against parties and candidates; this rule does not apply to the internet. Each party can spend up to €3 million on its campaign, including VAT.

For this reason, the barometer of this site is switched off during the moratorium. The test itself stays open.