Election Poll Slovakia: Results from FOCUS on October 22, 2019

According to FOCUS, 9 parties are projected to surpass the electoral threshold and enter Slovakia's National Council: SMER with 40 representatives, PS–SPOLU with 20 representatives, ĽSNS with 18 representatives, ZĽ with 16 representatives, Sme Rodina with 13 representatives, KDH with 12 representatives, SNS with 11 representatives, OĽaNO with 11 representatives and SaS with 9 representatives.

Slovakia's National Council (Národná rada) comprises 150 members elected for a four-year term. The electoral system employs pure proportional representation with open lists, where the entire country constitutes a single electoral district. Voters cast their ballot for a party list but can influence the order of candidates through up to four preferential votes. If a candidate secures a specific number of preferential votes, they move up the list, granting voters direct influence over candidate selection.

To enter the National Council, Slovakia applies varying electoral thresholds. Individual parties must secure at least 5% of the national vote. For coalitions of two or three parties, the threshold stands at 7%, while alliances of four or more parties face a 10% hurdle. This regulation aims to prevent excessive parliamentary fragmentation by small, ad-hoc alliances. Votes cast for parties failing to clear these thresholds are forfeited in seat allocation, fostering the formation of stable parliamentary factions.

As the electoral system rarely yields an absolute majority for any single party among the 150 seats, coalition governments are the norm in Slovakia. Following an election, the President typically tasks the leader of the strongest party with forming a government. Within 30 days of its appointment, the new government must present its program to the National Council and secure a vote of confidence. Slovakia's political landscape often features dynamic alliances, with negotiations frequently demanding intense compromises on economic and social policy.