Self-Government Elections 2026
On Saturday 24 October 2026, Bratislava residents elect the leadership of the city, their city district and the Bratislava Region – all at once. In one visit to the polling station you will receive 6 ballots.
- When
- Saturday 24 Oct 2026, 7:00 – 20:00
- Where
- only at the polling station of your permanent residence
- Bring
- ID card (foreigners: residence document)
- Voter card
- not available in these elections
Who you elect – 6 ballots
White envelope – city and city district
- Mayor of Bratislava
Circle 1 candidate - City Council
Circle at most N - District Mayor
Circle 1 candidate - District Council
Circle at most N
Ballots for the mayor and the city council have a grey stripe on the left edge.
Blue envelope – Bratislava Region
- Chair of the Bratislava Region (BSK)
Circle 1 candidate - Bratislava Regional Council
Circle at most N
Both ballots have blue stripes.
N = The number of candidates you may circle is also printed on the ballot.
How to vote step by step
- Go to your polling station (the address is on the notice in your mailbox or on your city district website) and show your ID.
- The commission gives you a blue envelope with 2 ballots (region) and a white envelope with 4 ballots (city and district). You sign for each in a separate list.
- Always go behind the screen – otherwise the commission will not let you vote.
- Circle the candidate number on the ballot – at least one. For mayor, district mayor and regional chair exactly 1; for councils at most as many as there are seats in your constituency.
- Put the regional ballots in the blue envelope, the city and district ballots in the white envelope.
- Drop the blue envelope into the blue box and the white envelope into the white box.
- Put unused or spoiled ballots into the box for unused ballots.
Common mistakes that make your vote invalid
- Circling more candidates than allowed – the whole ballot is invalid.
- A ballot with no candidate circled is invalid. If you do not want to vote in one of the elections, just leave that ballot out of the envelope.
- A candidate who withdrew stays on the ballot, but is disregarded when seats are allocated. The list is posted in the polling station.
- A ballot in the wrong envelope (regional in white, city in blue) – the ballot is invalid.
- An envelope in the wrong box – the vote is invalid.
- Made a mistake? Ask the commission for a new ballot; do not put the spoiled one in the envelope.
- Do not take unused ballots home – there is a €33 fine.
- You can vote only where you have permanent residence. There is no voter card and no postal vote in these elections.
Who can vote
- Slovak citizens and foreigners with permanent residence in Bratislava.
- Aged 18 or over on election day.
- You may take part in only one of the elections (e.g. only regional) – just do not take the other ballots.
- If you cannot come for health reasons, ask your city district (or the commission on election day) for a portable ballot box.
Where to vote
You vote at the polling station of your polling district, based on your permanent address. The address is on the notice delivered to every household, or on your city district website:
When are the results
- Polling stations close on Saturday at 20:00, then counting starts.
- The Statistical Office publishes running results overnight at volby.statistics.sk.
- Official results are expected on Sunday 25 Oct 2026 in the afternoon.