Slovaks vote in referendum to decide on family issues

The eighth referendum in Slovakia's history began on Saturday morning to decide on issues related to traditional family.

The issues included the right of same-sex couples to adopt and raise children, and the right of parents to decide whether or not their children should attend classes dealing with sex education and euthanasia.

Any Slovak citizen with the right to vote in a general election is eligible to take part in the referendum, with inclusion of those with a permanent residence abroad.

The referendum will be valid only if more than half of registered voters, about 2 million people, take part in it, with the votes of a simple majority required to pass or reject individual items on the list.

There were seven referendums in the country before, but only one has been declared valid -- the one on Slovakia access to the European Union (EU), which was initiated by lawmakers.

The current referendum was initiated by a civil association called the Family Alliance, which organized a petition backing the proposal that was eventually signed by more than 400,000 people.

Meanwhile, at least 350,000 signatures are required to launch a referendum, which also needs the president's approval.

The polling stations will close at 10:00 p.m. Endi