Elections in Poland

Polish elections are organized under national election law and supervised by the Państwowa Komisja Wyborcza, usually shortened to PKW. Local electoral commissions run the practical work in polling places. The main elections are parliamentary elections, presidential elections, local elections, and elections to the European Parliament. National and local referenda may also be held when the required legal conditions are met. In parliamentary elections, voters choose deputies to the Sejm and senators to the Senat. Sejm elections use party lists and proportional allocation, while Senate elections use individual candidates in separate districts. In a presidential election, voters choose one candidate directly. If no candidate receives the required majority in the first round, the leading candidates may compete in a second round. Local elections choose representatives for gmina or city councils, powiat councils, and voivodeship assemblies. They also choose local executive officials, such as the wójt, burmistrz, or prezydent miasta, according to the type of municipality. European Parliament elections choose Polish representatives who work in the European Union institution. The election is conducted in Poland under rules that combine national procedures with the common European framework. To vote, a person must meet the legal conditions, be included in the relevant voter register, and go to the assigned polling place or use an available lawful alternative. Voters normally show an identity document and receive the ballot papers for the election being held. The voter marks the ballot according to the instructions and places it in the ballot box. The vote must be marked clearly and privately, because an unclear or improperly marked ballot may not count.