For the second EU vote running, Franc Bogovič of the non-parliamentary People's Party (SLS/EPP) was elected with preference votes, this time by overtaking Patricija Šulin of the opposition Democrats (SDS/EPP).

Having opted for a joint list of candidates, the SDS and SLS secured three MEPs, two from the SDS, who were placed first and second, and Bogovič as the third one.

Bogovič was re-elected as 4th placed on the SDS+SLS slate. What is also interesting is that second-placed Romana Tomc received more preference votes that the SDS+SLS's frontrunner Milan Zver.

Milan Brglez (SD/S&D) is another candidate to become MEP with the help of preference voting.

Placed 4th on the list of the coalition Social Democrats (SD), which has secured two seats, outgoing MP Brglez overtook MP Matjaž Nemec and Justice Ministry State Secretary Dominika Švarc Pipan.

Brglez, a doctor of international relations, is going to Brussels with long-serving MEP Tanja Fajon, who however received a record of nearly 53,500 preference votes.

On the other hand, Igor Šoltes was one of the candidates who have failed to get elected despite receiving many preference votes, because their lists failed to win enough votes.

As the frontrunner of the coalition Pensioners' Party's (DeSUS/EDP), Šoltes received 21,000 preference votes, whereas only 6,400 preference votes was enough for Klemen Grošelj of the ruling Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) to get elected.

His fate was shared by several other first-seeded candidates, including Austrian MEP Angelika Mlinar of the coalition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB/ALDE), Zmago Jelinčič of the opposition National Party (SNS) and Violeta Tomić of the opposition Left (European United Left).

Optional preferential voting seems to be gaining ground in Slovenia, as the number of voters who applied it was sightly over 80% as opposed to 77% in 2014.

Below is a table featuring the first 20 MEP candidates and all first-seeded candidates according to the number of preference votes they received.

candidate No. of preference votes
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• *Tanja Fajon (SD/S&D) 53,472
• *Irena Joveva (LMŠ/ALDE) 41,804
• *Romana Tomc (SDS+SLS/EPP) 40,278
• *Milan Zver (SDS+SLS/EPP) 26,118
• Igor Šoltes (DeSUS) 21,017
• *Ljudmila Novak (NSi/EPP) 19,178
• Angelika Mlinar (SAB/ALDE) 15,070
• Zmago Jelinčič (SNS) 14,293
• *Franc Bogovič (SDS+SLS/EPP) 13,616
• Violeta Tomić (Left/European Left) 12,053
• Lojze Peterle (NSi/EPP) 11,586
• Franc Kangler (SDS+SLS/EPP) 10,197
• Patricija Šulin (SDS+SLS/EPP) 9,306
• *Milan Brglez (SD/S&D) 6,970
• Luka Mesec (Left//European Left) 6,542
• *Klemen Grošelj (LMŠ/ALDE) 6,405
• Matjaž Nemec (SD(S&D) 5,513
• Jožef Horvat (NSi(EPP) 5,450
• Gorazd Pretnar (Greens) 5,169
• Žiga Turk (NSi/EPP) 4,935

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• Urša Zgojznik (Let's Connect) 4,709
• Bernard Brščič (DOM) 4,420
• Andrej Šiško (ZSi) 2,127
• Gregor Perič (SMC/ALDE) 1,545
• Peter Golob (DD) 836
   

* elected MEPs