photo: TASR
IN ELECTIONS to Slovakia's municipal councils and mayoral seats, 2,052,003 people took part out of the country's 4,306,280 registered voters, for a turnout of 47.65 percent.
This was the lowest turnout in Slovakia's post-1989 history. However, it was considered a success in that predictions of a turnout around 30 percent were not borne out.
Once again, turnout was higher in the countryside, at 61.93 percent, than it was in the towns, where it was 36.76 percent.
Sociologist Ľubomír Fabian said of this phenomenon that "in the villages the candidates are known, and voters see their daily activities, so there is less anonymity." In large towns, on the other hand, unless politicians have been serving for many years, "they tend to be anonymous and unknown, and their names often mean nothing to people."
However, compared to 2002 municipal elections, when the overall turnout was slightly higher at 49.51 percent, fewer people voted in the villages, and more in the towns.
List of parties in elections
Alliance of the New Citizen (ANO) - Aliancia Nového Občana
Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) - Kresťansko Demokratické Hnutie
Civic-Conservative Party (OKS) - Občianska Konzervatívna Strana Free Forum (SF) - Slobodné Forum
Green Party in Slovakia (SZS) - Strana Zelených na Slovensku
Hope - Nádej
Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) - Strana Maďarskej Koalície
Mission 21 - New Christian Democracy - Misia 21 - Nová Kresťanská Demokracia
Movement for Democracy (HZD) - Hnutie za Demokraciu
People's Party - Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (ĽS-HZDS) - Ľudová Strana - Hnutie za Demokratické Slovensko
Rural Agrarian Party (ASV) - Agrárna Strana Vidieka
Reunited Slovak National Party (ZSNS) - Zjednotená SNS
Slovak Communist Party (KSS) - Komunistická Strana Slovenska
Slovak Democratic and Christian Union - Democratic Party (SDKÚ-DS) - Slovenská Demokratická a Kresťanská Únia - Demokratická Strana
Slovak National Coalition - Slovak Coexistence (SLNKO) - Slovenská Národná Koalícia - Slovenská Vzájomnosť
Slovak National Party (SNS) - Slovenská Národná Strana
Smer - Social Democracy (Smer-SD) - Smer - Sociálna Demokracia
Source: Statistics Bureau, SME daily
