POLITICAL parties will be fighting for about 340,000 votes from Slovakia's first-time voters in the upcoming general elections.
Experts say that appeals to this unstable group of voters will be a crucial part of the election campaigns of each party, because they are more susceptible to political advertising than other groups of voters, according to the Pravda daily.
Many young voters leave decisions on whom to support to the last moment, and many do not vote at all.
According to experts, people older than 35 are generally more interested in the elections and politics as a whole.
"Interest levels [among young voters] are the lowest [among all groups of voters], but they can be attracted by topics such as job opportunities, opening Europe's borders, and travel," political analyst Ján Baránek said.
Polls suggest that young voters tend to prefer the Smer opposition party and the governmental Slovak Democratic and Christian Union.
"Many support Smer, but they cannot be counted on to vote," Baránek said.
