Slovak Parliament Delays Vote on Postal Voting Reform and Arts Fund Until Autumn

Slovakia's parliament has postponed a controversial vote on reforming postal voting rules for citizens living abroad, deferring the debate until the autumn parliamentary session beginning September 15. Lawmakers in the National Council, Slovakia's unicameral parliament, voted Wednesday to push back the proposal, which was drafted by Smer-SD, the ruling social-democratic party led by Prime Minister Robert Fico. A separate measure concerning the Fund for the Support of Art — a public body that finances cultural projects — was also delayed to the same autumn session. The postal voting legislation had been contentious, as it would introduce significant changes to how Slovak citizens residing abroad cast their ballots in elections, a reform critics argue could affect voter turnout and electoral fairness among the Slovak diaspora.