Slovakia's Defense Minister Proposes Doubling Election Deposit and Ending Postal Voting

Defense Minister Robert Kaliňák announced plans to double the election deposit required from political parties to 35,000 euros and replace postal voting from abroad with voting at embassies. Kaliňák, a member of the ruling Smer-SD party, outlined these proposed electoral reforms during a Sunday television discussion. The higher deposit would make it more expensive for parties to participate in elections, while the change to embassy-only voting would eliminate the current option for Slovak citizens living abroad to vote by mail. These proposals represent significant changes to Slovakia's electoral system that could affect both party participation and voter access for the country's diaspora community.