Results of the Referendum       

• Question No. 1
  Do you agree that the concept of marriage denotes solely the legal bond between one man and one woman, but it must not denote any other cohabitation between persons? 

  • Yes: 

    • Votes: 892,719

    • Share: 94.50%

  • No: 

    • Votes: 39,088

    • Share: 4.13%

  • Invalid: 

    • Votes: 12,867

    • Share: 1.36%

• Question No. 2
  Do you agree that it should not be allowed to couples or groups of persons of the same sex to adopt and subsequently raise children? 

  • Yes: 

    • Votes: 873,224

    • Share: 92.43%

  • No: 

    • Votes: 52,389

    • Share: 5.54%

  • Invalid: 

    • Votes: 19,061

    • Share: 2.01%

• Question No. 3
  Do you agree that schools should not require participation of children in the field of sexual education or euthanasia if their parents or the children themselves do not agree with the content of such education?

  • Yes: 

    • Votes: 853,241

    • Share: 90.32%

  • No: 

    • Votes: 69,349

    • Share: 7.34%

  • Invalid: 

    • Votes: 22,084

    • Share: 2.33%

At stake in this Referendum       

• This referendum will reinforce existing legislation banning same-sex couples from marrying and adopting, domestic partner protections, and the ability of schools to offer sex education. 
• According to the proponents of the referendum, the Slovak Alliance for Family, the “freedom to preserve marriage and family.” 

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Ivan GASPAROVIC *
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Iveta RADICOVA **
• Assembly: Slovakia has a unicameral National Council of the Slovak Republic (Narodna Rada Slovenskej Republiky) with 150 seats. ***

* The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 5-year term. Candidates for the office of the president must be nominated by at least 15 members of the National Council (Národná rada) or through a petition of at least 15,000 voters. Presidents of the Slovak Republic are limited to two 5-year terms in office.
** With the approval of the parliament.
*** Members are elected by closed party list proportional representation for four-year terms. Electors are given a separate ballot for each party, which they take into the voting booth. Each party ranks its candidates from one to the total number of candidates it is running. Electors cast one vote for their preferred party. In addition, they may cast up to four preferential votes on the ballot. Electors then place the ballot of their preferred party into an envelope, discarding the other ballots into a separate bin. Seat order is determined by the predetermined order of candidates on the party lists, updated by the count of preferential votes cast. There is a 5% threshold which every party must obtain, even if part of a larger coalition.

Main provisions in this referendum 

• The definition of a marriage as a union of one man and one woman.*
• A requirement that adoptive parents be married.
• Prohibiting registered partnerships between gay and lesbian couples.
• Permitting parents to opt out their children from sex education classes taught at public schools.**

* In June 2012, Slovakia became the third EU country to ban same-sex marriage.

**The right to opt out of sex education classes is currently not a law.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 5,424,050 (2015)
• Registered Voters: 4,406,261 (April 2014)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 2,794,985 (2015)

·         Is Slovakia a signatory to CEDAW: No

·         Has Slovakia ratified CEDAW: Yes, succession (28 May 1993)

·         Gender Quota: No (there are political parties that have voluntary gender quotas)

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 24 (following the 2012 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 35 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is Slovakia a signatory to CRPD: Yes (26 September 2007)

·         Has Slovakia ratified CRPD: Yes (26 May 2010)

·         Population with a disability: 813,607 (est.)