Regional elections approaching, opposition fears vote buying

Elections to the bodies of the Slovak self-governing regions will be held on 4 November. Based on the parliament's decision from 2 February 2017, for the first time the voting will only consist of one round, with the candidate who receives the most valid votes being elected. Statistically speaking, Slovaks are not very interested in regional elections, as the voter turnout in the past has never exceeded 27 percent. However, in the past there were cases of vote buying and some of the opposition parties are warning that this might happen again. The parties of Freedom and Solidarity, OĽANO and the Christian Democrats called on the State Electoral Commission and the police to ensure the lawful conduct of November's elections. The Chairman of the State Electoral Commission, Eduard Bárány, rejects the idea that a specific party would organize such opposition-minded actions nationwide.