Election26: Combined Local Elections Begin; Polling Stations Open until 8 p.m.

Bratislava, 24 October (TASR) - The polling stations in Slovakia opened at 7 a.m. on Saturday. Elections are being held for local and regional council bodies. On a single day, people are electing representatives to the councils of towns, municipalities and self-governing regions for four-year terms. Voters may only cast their ballots at their place of permanent residence. The polling stations will be open until 8 p.m. Voters in 2,926 municipalities, towns and cities and city boroughs will be casting their votes. A total of 6,029 polling stations have been set up. Almost 4.41 million people are eligible to vote. Voters are electing mayors, members of municipal or city councils, the governors of self-governing regions and regional councillors. In the case of Bratislava and Kosice, they are also electing the mayors of boroughs and members of borough councils. In addition to adult Slovak citizens, foreign nationals are also entitled to vote. Slovak citizens must bring a valid identity card, while foreign nationals must present an ID card indicating a long-term residency permit. am/df