Following Sunday’s referendum, Prime Janez Janša has announced plans for legislative changes and potential criminal complaints against the National Electoral Commission (DVK). The move follows criticism from the SDS party regarding alleged irregularities in vote counting and data discrepancies across several polling stations, including the Omnia site in Ljubljana.
SDS Party Raises Concerns over Voting Integrity
In the wake of the referendum, members of the SDS party have raised concerns regarding the integrity of the voting process. Aleš Hojs, a deputy from the party, pointed to specific instances where the number of votes recorded reportedly exceeded the number of voters registered at certain locations. He suggested that things should be looked at again,
questioning if there was a possibility that individuals voted twice—once at their home polling station and once at the Omnia site. One cited example is the polling station at OŠ Mrzlava vas in Brežicah, where reports indicate that 129 voters were recorded and 130 ballots were cast, suggesting a turnout of over 100 percent.
Further confusion emerged regarding the polling station at the Dom krajanov Bresternica, where participation numbers varied significantly between different referendum questions. According to data, 670 voters participated in three of the referendums, yet 760 were recorded for the referendum on the voting rights of foreigners. Two days after polling closed, the DVK reported that only 87 percent of ballots had been counted at this location. Similar inconsistencies regarding voter counts and ballot totals were noted at sites in Šmarčna, where 74 voters were recorded for the parliamentary investigation referendum but only 44 ballots were cast, and at the fire station in Škale, where 1,001 voters were eligible for the RTV referendum compared to 999 for the others. Other discrepancies were noted in Lenart and various locations in Koper, including the SEPŠ 22 station, where the share of votes for the parliamentary investigation was higher than at neighboring stations in the same location. At OŠ Lenart, 70.39 percent voted to abolish the RTV contribution, while 33.55 percent voted for the parliamentary investigation amendment.
Janša’s Proposed Legislative and Legal Action
Janez Janša has characterized the outcome of the RTV-contribution referendum as a moment that finally opens the eyes of many who have previously accused us of conspiracy theories.
Expressing frustration with the process, he outlined his administration’s intentions on the social media platform X.
“Within 14 days, there will be legislative changes in the National Assembly and potentially proposals for the criminal removal of the DVK; some criminal charges cannot be ruled out,”
Janez Janša, Prime Minister
The SDS party has raised concerns regarding the appointment of members to district electoral commissions. While the threat of criminal complaints and removal of commission members has been vocalized, the Prime Minister’s cabinet has yet to provide specific details regarding the proposed legal changes or the exact nature of the grievances against the commission. The DVK has maintained that it has not yet received any formal objections regarding its operations.
Critics Question Timing of Omnia Polling Data Entry
A point of contention for the SDS involves the Omnia polling station in Ljubljana, where officials were required to count 12,000 ballots, as each voter cast four, one for each referendum. Critics have questioned the timing of data entry, noting that data from Omnia, where around 2,900 people voted, was not entered until the morning. At midnight, results showed 920,457 ballots counted (99.94 percent), with 50.13 percent in favor of abolition and 49.87 percent against. By 6:20, the count was updated. The DVK stated that from an organizational point of view, everything went smoothly. According to the commission, the pause in the public website updates during the night did not mean that counting had stopped; rather, commission members continued to process and input data throughout the night, with the public-facing portal refreshing once the work was complete in the morning.
Status of Official Results
As of October 13, 2026, the DVK emphasizes that all currently visible figures remain unofficial and incomplete. The final, official results are expected to be confirmed on October 19. While the discrepancy in total votes—such as the single-vote gap found in Omnia’s database entry where 2,429 “against” and 474 “for” votes were recorded for 2,903 valid ballots—has been noted, the commission has yet to issue a comprehensive explanation for these specific reporting errors. DVK Director Igor Zorčič noted the logistical challenges of four simultaneous votes and high turnout but did not address the specific discrepancies in voter numbers.
