Agora Election Observation Final Report Polish Parliamentary Elections 2023

FINAL REPORT Poland

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS 15 October 2023

AGORA ELECTION OBSERVATION

POLAND

2023

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TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

4

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

5

BACKGROUND AND POLITICAL CONTEXT

6

LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND ELECTORAL SYSTEM

7

VOTER REGISTRATION

7

PARTIES AND CANDIDATES

8

CAMPAIGN

9

CIVIC AND VOTER EDUCATION

10

CITIZENS AND INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS

10

ELECTION DAY

11

RECOMMENDATIONS

12

ELECTION RESULTS

13

LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS

16

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INTRODUCTION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Agora Election Observation (AEO) is an independent non-government, non-profit organisation dedicated to fostering democracy and human rights in Europe. In particular, the organisation provides a youth perspective on elections by training young people as international election observers in order to gain experience and evaluate youth engagement in the electoral process as voters, candidates, and civil society members.

The AEO Mission to Poland deployed 30 international observers of 16 nationalities to observe the Parliamentary elections in Poland that took place on 15 October 2023. The observers arrived in the country on 11 and departed on 17 October.

In accordance with the AEO methodology, observers completed the OSCE/ODIHR Comprehensive E-learning Course [1] on election observation and undertook research on the electoral process in Poland.

[1] https://www.osce.org/odihr/e-learning-course-for-election-observers

Upon deployment, the mission met with a number of stakeholders and local interlocutors, including election administration authorities, political parties and civil society’s representatives.

On Election Day, observers were deployed in Warsaw, Krakow, Lublin, Łódź, Poznan, Wroclaw, and Katowice - and visited 117 polling stations to observe the opening, voting, closing and counting procedures.The AEO team would like to use the opportunity to thank election administration authorities, political party and civil society representatives from Poland as well as other international observers, local coordinators and interpreters, who contributed to the successful completion of the mission. We are particularly grateful to The International Institute of Civil Society’s Centre for Analysis (CA MISO) for providing a meeting room for the needs of the mission.

Agora Election Observation Mission to Poland is independent in its findings and conclusions.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The 2023 Parliamentary Elections in Poland were combined with a nationwide referendum and attracted a lot of international and domestic interest with 74% turnout, considered to be the highest in recent Polish history.

The election campaign was competitive and highlighted the deep divisions and polarisation in the country.

The National Electoral Commission conducted a detailed information and educational campaign through traditional and social media, including Facebook and YouTube with interpretation in Polish Sign Language. Civil society organisations also played an important role in voter education and running motivational campaigns to increase

voter turnout, aimed particularly at women and young people.

Eventually, the youth turnout marked a significant increase in comparison to previous elections.

The International Observers of Agora Election Observation covered 7 voivodeships where they visited 7 different cities and observed the election process in 117 polling stations in total.

Overall, Election Day was well-administered but the failure of national authorities to promptly grant accreditations to international observers adversely affected the observation process, generating operational and logistical challenges.

DEPLOYMENT PLAN

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BACKGROUND AND POLITICAL CONTEXT Poland is a parliamentary republic in Central Europe and has been a member of the European Union since 2004.

As of 2021, the population aged 18 to 29 in Poland was 4 848 029 people or 12.8% of the total population of the country [2].

The legislative power in the country is vested in a bicameral parliament consisting of a lower chamber (Sejm) with 460 seats and an upper chamber (Senat) with 100 seats, with members in both chambers being directly elected for a 4-year term. The Sejm is the primary legislative body where laws are proposed, debated, and voted on.

The Senat reviews and offers its opinion on legislation but does not have the same legislative authority as the Sejm. The Parliament is responsible for making and amending laws, and it plays a crucial role in the oversight of the government.

Since the last elections in 2019 when the PiS won a second mandate in power, Poland has faced a number of challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with economic recession and the Russian invasion of Ukraine that has driven millions of people outside of the country.

According to data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) there are currently 954 599 Ukrainian refugees in Poland (as of 14 November 2023). However, since the beginning of the conflict in February 2022 the total number of border crossings from Ukraine to Poland has been 14 299 729 [3]. The conflict also contributed to higher inflation in Poland, exacerbated by the country's decision to sever energy relations with Russia by the end of 2022.

Another matter that arose was the EU ban on grain import from Ukraine that was lifted in September 2023. All these issues became topics of discussion in the election campaign.

[2]Central Statistical Office of Poland, Demographic Yearbook of Poland 2022, https://stat.gov.pl/en/topics/statistical-yearbooks/statisticalyearbooks/demographic-yearbook-of-poland-2022,3,16.html (accessed 16 October 2023) [3]https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/ukraine/location/10781 [3b]https://commission.europa.eu/system/files/202307/48_1_52627_coun_chap_poland_en.pdf [3c]https://www.prezydent.pl/aktualnosci/wydarzenia/wybory-parlamentarneodbeda-sie-15-pazdziernika-2023-r,73017

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The second mandate of Law and Justice has also been marked by tensions with the European Union, especially with regard to the rule of law and the judicial system. The EU took various actions, including issuing a letter of formal notice in 2020, referring Poland to the Court of Justice, withholding recovery grants and loans, and eventually taking Poland to court in 2023. In June 2023, the final ruling mandated Poland to amend its judicial system to align with EU law [3b].

On the 8 August, the President of Poland Andrzej Duda scheduled the parliamentary election for October 15, 2023, in adherence to Article 98 Section 2 of the Polish Constitution, mandating that the election must occur within the last 30 days of the existing Parliament's term, concluding on November 11, 2023 [3c].

On the 17th August 2023 the Sejm decided to hold a nationwide referendum on the 15th October alongside the parliamentary elections with 4 questions regarding the sale of state assets to foreign entities, the retirement age, the border with Belarus, and admitting migrants from the Middle East and Africa [4].

Interlocutors voiced concerns with regard to people’s lack of awareness about the possibility to abstain from voting in the referendum and to potential risks to the secrecy of the vote in smaller constituencies where voters declining the referendum ballot could be interpreted as an anti-government stance.

Others expressed concerns referring to the lack of any financial limits for the organization of the referendum campaign and the potential abuse of state funds.

There is a severe underrepresentation and decrease of women and youth both in the new Sejm and Senat. In the Sejm, there are three MPs aged less than 30 [5] and 77 MPs aged between 30 and 39 [6]. Only three young people under the age of 30 received seats in the new Sejm [7], which is a significant decrease in comparison to the 14 MPs under 30 who were elected after the 2019 parliamentary elections [8].

[4]National Election Commission. Accessible via: https://referendum.gov.pl/referendum2023/pl/kalendarz [5]Sejm, Dane o posłach wg stanu na dzień wyborów, https://www.sejm.gov.pl/Sejm10.nsf/page.xsp/poslowie_wybory, (accessed 3 December 2023) [6]Sejm. https://www.sejm.gov.pl/Sejm10.nsf/page.xsp/poslowie_wybory [7]Sejm, Dane o posłach wg stanu na dzień wyborów, https://www.sejm.gov.pl/Sejm10.nsf/page.xsp/poslowie_wybory, (accessed 3 December 2023) [8]Sejm, Dane o posłach wg stanu na dzień wyborów, https://www.sejm.gov.pl/Sejm9.nsf/page.xsp/poslowie_wybory, (accessed 7 November 2023)

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The number of newly elected MPs between 30 and 39 years old is 77 or 16.74% of all deputies while in the previous Sejm there were 80 people within this age group. In the Senat, the number of women elected is 19 [9] while in the previous term they were 24, and there is only one young person under the age of 39 who received a seat in the new Senat [10] in comparison to 4 senators between 30 and 39 years old in the previous term.

LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND ELECTORAL SYSTEM

Elections in Poland are regulated by the Constitution, the Electoral Code and other relevant legislation such as the Political Parties Act [11].

The election process for the Sejm utilizes a semiopen party-list proportional representation system using the D'Hondt method for vote to seat conversion based on the election results in 41 multi-seat constituencies [12]. There is a 5% threshold for single parties and citizen committees, and an 8% threshold for coalitions [13]. However, this requirement does not apply to national minority committees, such as those representing the German minority. Senators are elected through a first-past-the-post method in 100 constituencies.

The last amendments to the Election Code were made in March 2023. Some of the changes that were introduced included a central register of voters, increased number of polling stations, broadened requirements for members of Constituency Election Commissions and

[9]Senat, https://www.senat.gov.pl/gfx/senat/userfiles/_public/senatrp/211123.pdf, (accessed 3 December 2023) [10]Senat, https://www.senat.gov.pl/sklad/senatorowie/ (accessed 3 December 2023) [11]Państwowa Komisja Wyborcza, Prawo wyborcze, https://pkw.gov.pl/prawo-wyborcze/kodeks-wyborczy (accessed 27 October 2023) [12]B. Gaweda, ' The Least That Could Have Been Done? The Ambiguous Effects of Gender Quotas in Polish Parliamentary Elections', in S. Lang, P. Meier, and B. Sauer (eds.), Party Politics and the Implementation of Gender Quotas. Resisting Institutions, Palgrave Macmillan, 2023, p. 267-283.

[13]Election Code, Article 196 [14]OSCE ODIHR, Republic of Poland. Parliamentary Elections 2023. ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission Report, https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/9/9/548257_0.pdf, (accessed 8 October 2023) [15]Państwowa Komisja Wyborcza, Wniosek Państwowej Komisji Wyborczej w sprawie zmiany granic okręgów wyborczych i liczby posłów w nich wybieranych,

providing public transport for voters, as well as shortening the time for Supreme Court decisions on electoral appeals [14].

Elections are administered by the National Electoral Commission (Państwowa Komisja Wyborcza), which is responsible for delimiting electoral constituency boundaries and submitting to the Sejm proposal for changes and updates. Interlocutors raised concerns with regard to the distribution of mandates, which is not proportionate to the number of people residing in a given area. Indeed, in October 2022 the NEC submitted a proposal to the Sejm to amend the number of seats allocated to constituencies but the changes were not adopted [15].

VOTER REGISTRATION Polish citizens who turn 18 years of age no later than the Election Day have the right to vote. In the lead up to the 2023 Parliamentary Elections, there were some calls from opposition parties to lower the voting age to 16 but since the voting age is enshrined in the constitution, such a change would require a broad political consensus both in the Sejm and the Senat [16].

The right to vote is not enjoyed by persons who have been deprived of their legal capacity because of a final court ruling contrary to international standards [17]. In this regard, the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has repeatedly recommended that countries reform laws and policies that exclude people with disabilities from the electoral process [18].

https://pkw.gov.pl/aktualnosci/informacje/wniosek-panstwowej-komisjiwyborczej-w-sprawie-zmiany-granic-okregow-wyborczych-i-liczby-posloww-ni, (accessed 3 December 2023) [16]‘Polish opposition party calls to lower voting age to 16’, Notes from Poland, 26 April 2023, https://notesfrompoland.com/2023/04/26/polishopposition-party-calls-to-lower-voting-age-to-16/ (accessed 8 October 2023) [17]Election Code, Art. 10, https://pkw.gov.pl/uploaded_files/1691646268_kodeks-wyborczy-2023sierpien-crw.pdf (accessed 27 October 2023) [18] Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Communication No. 4/2011, https://docstore.ohchr.org/SelfServices/FilesHandler.ashx? enc=6QkG1d%2FPPRiCAqhKb7yhsiltZc5%2Fou8oZErViZR3Rfd00U82wMnxt D8Mnk1GpaFNc3LmViG7vTUoxenPOOmvP2DkMY8oomkWrVr05gP1%2FH2c 5NfP%2Bw8fDKEsAeTlGMJ9VAohblGgPxSByN3FGMPhwQ%3D%3D (accessed 3 November 2023) and Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, General comment No. 6 (2018) on equality and nonDiscrimination, https://documents-ddsny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G18/119/05/PDF/G1811905.pdf?OpenElement

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Voter registration is passive with the exception of voters residing abroad who have to apply to be included in the electoral register no later than 5 days before Election Day [19]. The interest in these parliamentary elections was very high, which was reflected in the number of applications for voting from abroad. Over 600,000 individuals registered, surpassing the 314,000 registrations in 2019 [20].

The 2023 amendments to the Election Code have introduced a Central Register of Voters [21] On the 3rd of August 2023 the Minister of Digitalisation of Poland issued a Regulation regarding the Central Register of Voters. The scope of the Regulation covers how the register should look, the methods and procedures for preparing and updating it, as well as a template for the list of voters staying in medical facilities, social welfare homes, and other similar establishments where polling stations have been established [22].

The Election Code provides for postal voting and voting by proxy for persons with disabilities [23].

In addition, the Election Code contains provisions allowing any voter to apply for an Absentee Voter Certificate. Such applications can be submitted between the 44th and the 3rd day before Election Day [24]. The possibility for absentee voting is beneficial for young people who may work or study in a place different from their permanent place of residence and are generally more mobile.

PARTIES AND CANDIDATES Citizens with the right to vote who are at least 21 years old can stand as candidates for the Sejm while in order to run for the Senat a person must be at least 30 years old [25].

[19]Election Code, Art. 35 [20]‘Wybory za granicą. Ponad 600 tys. chętnych, niektórzy oddadzą głos już w sobotę, Polska Agencja Prasowa, 13 October 2023, https://www.pap.pl/aktualnosci/wybory-za-granica-ponad-600-tyschetnych-niektorzy-oddadza-glos-juz-w-sobote (accessed 20 October 2023) [21]Election Code, Chapter 4 [22]Internetowy System Aktów Prawnych, Rozporządzenie Ministra Cyfryzacji z dnia 3 sierpnia 2023 r. w sprawie spisu wyborców, https://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/download.xsp/WDU20230001512/O/D2 0231512.pdf (accessed 3 November 2023) [23]Election Code, Chapter 6a and Chapter 7 24]Election Code, Art. 32 [25]Election Code, Art. 11

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There are no quotas or other legal measures to encourage young people to run as candidates as well as a lack of official age-disaggregated data.

However, a comparison between candidate lists, social media profiles, media articles and publications by the political parties, suggest that Law and Justice (PiS) had at least 42 Sejm candidates at the age of 35 or younger with the youngest being 24. One of the high profile candidates of Civic Coalition was 35 years old [26]. At the same time, the Left announced that they had more than 100 candidates under the age of 30 [27]. Konfederacja also had young candidates under the age of 35 not only running for the Sejm but also as candidates for the Senat [28].

According to the Election Code, electoral committees have the right to nominate candidates for the Sejm and the Senat.Electoral committees can be formed by political parties, coalitions of political parties or by voters.

The list of candidates for the Sejm by a given electoral committee should be supported by at least 5000 signatures of voters permanently residing in the constituency while the required number of signatures for each Senat candidate is 2000. However, there are no provisions with regard to signature verification [29].

Legislated gender quotas were introduced in Poland in 2011 and are applied for candidate lists in elections at all levels (Sejm, local councils, and European parliament elections). According to the quota provisions, the number of candidates from each gender cannot be less than 35% of all candidates on the list. However, there are no provisions regulating the ranking of candidates, which means that a party can meet the legal requirements and have 35% women in non eligible positions. Gender quotas do not apply to the Senat, which is elected in a majoritarian single district constituency system.

[26]‘Farmers protest leader to stand for Polish opposition, pledging to “takeback countryside from PiS”’, Notes from Poland, 16 August 2023, https://notesfrompoland.com/2023/08/16/farmers-protest-leader-to-standfor-polish-opposition-pledging-to-take-back-countryside-from-pis/, (accessed 8 October 2023) [27]‘Lewica ujawniła listy. Jest parytet płci i 100 osób poniżej 30. roku życia’, Wprost, 29 August 2023, https://www.wprost.pl/polityka/11368411/lewicaujawnila-listy-jest-parytet-plci-i-100-osob-ponizej-30-roku-zycia.html, (accessed 8 October 2023) [28]Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, Bosak liderem listy wyborczej Konfederacji do Sejmu, https://www-gazetaprawnapl.translate.goog/wiadomosci/kraj/artykuly/8866775,bosak-liderem-listywyborczej-konfederacji-do-sejmu.html?_x_tr_sl=pl&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=enUS&_x_tr_pto=wapp (accessed 4 December 2023); Jawny Lublin, https://jawnylublin.pl/kandydaci-do-senatu-z-wojewodztwa-lubelskiego/ [29]OSCE, ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission Report, https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/9/9/548257_0.pdf, (accessed 18 December 2023)

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The aim of the introduction of legislated quotas was to increase the representation of women. It has been achieved to some extent, as women were just 20% of the total number of deputies in 2009 before the legislative changes while in 2019 their number reached 28% [30]. The 2023 elections marked a slight increase with 135 women receiving seats in the new Sejm or 29.35% of all deputies [31]. However, more needs to be done to achieve gender equality in Polish politics.

While there is no gender disaggregated data on candidates, an analysis of the candidate lists based on the names can provide such information. In total 44% of the Sejm candidates and 19% of the Senat candidates were women who also led 83 out of 320 lists [32].

The Political Parties Act states that anyone aged over 18 may be a member of a political party in Poland [33]. Parties have connections to youth organizations, either with an official political youth wing, or with looser connections to youth groups [34].

CAMPAIGN The election campaign starts from the date of publication of the announcement of the competent authority calling the election and ends 24 hours before voting day [35] Elections to the Sejm are called by an order of the President of the Republic and the decree serves also as the announcement of elections to the Senat [36].

The pre-election period was characterized by intense debates on key issues that shaped the electoral landscape.

A central focus was on security, given Poland's common border with Russia and Ukraine. PiS pledged to increase military spending, emphasizing the threat of Russia's war in Ukraine potentially affecting Poland.

[30]Gaweda, B. (2023). The Least That Could Have Been Done? The Ambiguous Effects of Gender Quotas in Polish Parliamentary Elections. In: Lang, S., Meier, P., Sauer, B. (eds) Party Politics and the Implementation of Gender Quotas. Gender and Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham [31]Sejm, https://www.sejm.gov.pl/Sejm10.nsf/page.xsp/poslowie_wybory [32] OSCE ODIHR, International Election Observation Mission. Republic of Poland, Parliamentary Elections, 15 October 2023. Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions, https://www.osce.org/files/f/documents/2/4/555048.pdf (accessed 6 November 2023)

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This resonated strongly with their eastern and southern support base. The opposition also emphasized security concerns, challenging PiS's narrative.

Poland's relationship with the European Union (EU) was a significant topic during the campaign.

PiS, in power since 2015, faced criticism from Brussels for authoritarian tendencies. The Civic Coalition positioned itself as pro-European, advocating for the rule of law. PiS capitalized on anti-German sentiment, framing the opposition as agents of Berlin [37].

The Ukraine conflict played a prominent role.

Tensions rose over time, and PiS used the refugee issue to gain votes, aligning it with their isolationist stance. However, a September poll indicated that refugees ranked as the least important issue for voters.

Economic concerns, particularly inflation, were hotly debated. The opposition attributed rising prices to the ruling majority's policies, while PiS blamed external factors such as the war in Ukraine and EU policies. Inflation ranked as the second most important problem in a September poll.

Social issues, though less prominent, were part of the discourse. With an aging population, discussions focused on pensions and family policies. The Civic Coalition emphasized health policies, while PiS faced criticism for limiting abortion rights but promised to expand the popular "500+" child benefit program.

The government aimed to increase rural voter turnout by offering financial incentives, including 250,000 zloty (€55,000) payouts to housewives' associations, brass bands, and sports clubs in areas with over 60% voter participation. The scheme was only available to municipalities with up to 20,000 inhabitants. This move by PiS was perceived as an attempt to bolster support in traditionally favorable regions. Additionally, a scheme rewards small municipalities with high

[33]Political Parties Act, Art. 2, https://www.pkw.gov.pl/uploaded_files/1690922913_ustawa-o-partiachpolitycznych.pdf [34]Youth participation in representative democracy, https://nationalpolicies.eacea.ec.europa.eu/youthwiki/chapters/poland/52-youthparticipation-in-representative-democracy [35]Election Code, Art. 104 [36]Election Code, Art.194 and Art. 257 [37]https://www.pap.pl/aktualnosci/prezes-pis-niemcy-niezaleznie-odwojny-beda-dazyly-do-ponownego-porozumienia-sie-z

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turnout, providing up to one million zloty (€220,000) for fire station modernization [38].

According to some interlocutors, political parties did not offer long-term solutions for issues important for young people such as education, housing and employment. An analysis of the election programs shows that Civic Coalition pledged to introduce a 600 PLN housing allowance for young people renting apartments and 0% interest rate loan for the purchase of a first apartment [39], the Left proposed a National Housing Program [40], while PiS proposed a 'Safe 2% Loan' available to individuals up to the age of 45 who do not own a home, and Confederation suggested a mortgage interest deduction. In addition, Civic Coalition and the Left campaigned for abortion rights that have been severely restricted under the PiS government and were one of the important topics during the campaign, affecting particularly young women.

All parties that eventually received seats in the Sejm used TikTok as one of their communication channels during the campaign, which can be interpreted as an attempt to reach young voters.

The party that has the highest number of followers on TikTok is Confederation (Konfederacja) – 221 400 [41]. Some Agora Election Observation interlocutors noted that the party is attractive for certain groups of young people with more conservative views, and especially for young conservative men, who feel left behind by mainstream politics.

CIVIC AND VOTER EDUCATION The main institution responsible for providing information about the elections is the National Electoral Commission. During the electoral period it published a series of educational videos on its social media channels explaining to voters

[38]https://notesfrompoland.com/2023/10/13/polish-government-promisesfunds-for-rural-housewives-clubs-in-areas-with-turnout-over-60/ [39]https://www.money.pl/gospodarka/mieszkanie-prawem-a-nie-towaremtusk-ma-pomysl-dla-mlodych-kredyt-0-proc-6871105591536256a.html [40]https://lewica.org.pl/program/program-wyborczy-kw-nowa-lewica [41]Data as of the 11th November 2023

how to vote, how the results are determined, how to report irregularities and others. Positively, Agora EOM also observed youth-specific voter education campaigns targeting young people and first-time voters.

For example, the campaign “I do it for the first time!” (Robię TO pierwszy raz!) was realised by a group of civil society organizations, which targeted first time voters. It addressed the importance of voting and explained how voting takes place, how to decide who to vote for as well as information on how young people can get further engaged in the election process [42].

There were also campaigns aimed at women such as the initiative ‘To Twój Wybór’ (It’s Your Choice) intended to motivate women to participate in the elections [43].

CITIZEN AND INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS

Polish election law provides for citizen and international election observation, the National Election Commission issues accreditation to the international observers after consultations with the Minister of Foreign Affairs. However, the process was negatively impacted by the failure of national authorities to grant accreditations in a timely manner. Accreditations were distributed to different non-governmental observer groups late in the evening before Election Day, creating operational and logistical difficulties. In the case of Agora Election Observation, this last-minute accreditation resulted in the impossibility to distribute the accreditation badges to the observers deployed across the country in sufficient time, preventing the mission to observe the opening procedures outside the capital Warsaw and the city of Lodz.

[42]https://robietopierwszyraz.pl/ (accessed 16 October 2023) [43]https://www.twojwybor.pl/#01a-Rozwiniecie (accessed 24 October 2023)

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In the lead up to the elections, a specially designed online training course for domestic and international observers was developed by Political Accountability Foundation (Fundacja Odpowiedzialna Polityka) and made available in both Polish and English language [44].

135 women have been elected as deputies in the new Sejm (29.35%) in comparison to 132 women who received seats as a result of the 2019 parliamentary elections in Poland [45]. The percentage of women in the new Sejm is still under the 33% EU average according to data from the European Institute for Gender Equality [46].

ELECTION DAY The country experienced an unprecedentedly high voter turnout, as reported by the National Electoral Commission, reaching 74.38% [47] . This election saw a notable surge in participation among youth and women compared to previous elections. Data from exit polls indicate that approximately 70% of the youth demographic, aged 18 to 29, cast their votes, a substantial increase from the 46.4% youth participation recorded in the 2019 elections. Female voter turnout was particularly high, with 74.7% voting on October 15th, a significant rise from the 61.5% turnout in 2019. In comparison, male voter turnout in these elections stood at 73.1% [48].

Additionally, young individuals under 30 played a prominent role in election administration at the polling stations observed, making up 31% of the commission members.

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Positively, measures such as absentee voting facilitate the participation of young people, which represents a demographic group with high mobility due to studying and working reasons.

Similarly, on Election Day, the availability of free public transportation made it easier for young people to reach their designated polling stations.

Overall, Election Day was well administered, procedures were generally respected, and the election administration showed a high level of professionalism and understanding of the conduct of the elections, especially during opening and voting procedures. However, the preservation of the secrecy of the vote is a longstanding matter of concern that merits sincere attention from national authorities. In around 50 per cent of the cases, the mission observers negatively assessed the secrecy of the vote due to the layout of the polling stations and the widespread practice of group and family voting. Greater attention should be paid to the enforcement of no campaigning in the immediate vicinity of polling stations, which was violated in 7 per cent of the cases. Around 40 per cent of polling stations were not accessible to people with disabilities. Commissioners had a lower understanding of the counting procedures compared to the opening and voting, which were not consistently followed in the limited number of observed polling stations by the mission for the closing and counting. However, this did not hinder the integrity of the counting process.

Generally, Election Day was conducted in a transparent manner and Agora observers were not restricted in their observation.

427 984 people voted for Senat using an absentee voting certificate while for the Sejm the number was 428 109. The possibility to vote by a proxy was used by 39 767 people in the vote for Senat and by 39 983 people in the vote for Sejm [49].

[44]https://kursy.odpowiedzialnapolityka.pl/ [45]Sejm, Dane o posłach wg stanu na dzień wyborów, https://www.sejm.gov.pl/Sejm9.nsf/page.xsp/poslowie_wybory (accessed 7 November 2023) [46]European Institute for Gender Equality, Gender Equality Index 2023, https://eige.europa.eu/gender-equality-index/2023/domain/power, (accessed 7 November 2023) [47]National Electoral Commission, Polish Parliamentary Elections 2023, https://wybory.gov.pl/sejmsenat2023/en (accessed 4 November 2023)

[48]National Electoral Commission, Polish Parliamentary Elections 2023, https://wybory.gov.pl/sejmsenat2023/en (accessed 4 November 2023) [49]National Electoral Commission, Results of voting in 2023 elections for Sejm - https://wybory.gov.pl/sejmsenat2023/en/sejm/wynik/pland Results of voting in 2023 elections for Senat https://wybory.gov.pl/sejmsenat2023/en/senat/wynik/pl (accessed 3 November 2023)

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RECOMMENDATIONS Based on its analysis and observations Agora Election Observation suggests the following recommendations to the electoral stakeholders in Poland:

●

The authorities are encouraged to support continuous and systematic data collection and research on youth political involvement. Data collection should be age and gender disaggregated in order to identify potential shortcomings and develop ad hoc measures to facilitate youth and other vulnerable groups’ participation in the electoral process.

● ●

The accessibility of polling stations for people with disabilities should be further improved.

The election administration should take further measures to ensure the secrecy of the vote and avoid groups and family voting during the election day.

●

The authorities should improve the enforcement of the rule for no campaigning in the immediate vicinity of polling stations.

●

The election administration is recommended to provide further training to polling staff members, especially in aspects related to the vote counting process.

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Political parties are urged to implement internal strategies that enhance youth engagement.

These strategies could include training programs for young members and candidates, ensuring representation of young people in electable positions on candidate lists, focusing on the development of policies pertinent to the youth, and incorporating young members into the party's decision-making process.

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The authorities are encouraged to prioritize the timely issuance of accreditations for international observers, this will facilitate a smooth and effective observation process, which is more advantageous for the country.

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It is recommended that the relevant authorities incorporate within the Electoral Code a mechanism for periodic seat redistribution among constituencies, thereby obviating the necessity for legislative amendments, in order to ensure the equal suffrage and mitigate potential passive malapportionment concerning the ratio of number of seats to the number of citizens.

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POLAND 2023

ELECTIONS RESULTS Polish Parliamentary Elections 15 October 2023 [50]

Election Results for Sejm

Election Results for Senat

[50]National Electoral Commission, Results of voting in 2023 elections for Sejm - https://wybory.gov.pl/sejmsenat2023/en/sejm/wynik/pland Results of voting in 2023 elections for Senat - https://wybory.gov.pl/sejmsenat2023/en/senat/wynik/pl (accessed 3 November 2023)

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Carto 1 - Turnout distribution. Author - Daniel Kerekes. Data source - National election commission.

Carto 2 - Law and Justice support distribution. Author - Daniel Kerekes. Data source - National election commission.

Carto 3 - Civic Coalition support distribution. Author - Daniel Kerekes. Data source - National election commission.

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Carto 4 - Third Way support distribution. Author - Daniel Kerekes. Data source - National election commission.

Carto 5 - New Left support distribution. Author - Daniel Kerekes. Data source - National election commission.

Carto 6 - Confederation support distribution. Author - Daniel Kerekes. Data source - National election commission.

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POLAND 2023

LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS Core Team President - Noemi Arcidiacono, Italy Vice President – Andreas Martin Speiser, Poland/Switzerland Advisor to the Board - Rocco Giovanni Dibiase, Italy Mission and Methodology – Patricio Borvarán, Chile Mission and Methodology – Mansiya Samambet, Kazakhstan Mission and Methodology – Ana Pacu, Moldova Logistics Coordinator - Sophia Lindemiller, Germany Outreach Coordinator - Daniel Kerekes, Slovakia Research Coordinator - Margarita Spasova, Bulgaria Observers Anhelina Pryimak - Ukraine Anna Marie Djordjevic - United Kingdom Bohdan Naumenko - Ukraine Constantin Treisch - Germany David Rauss - Germany Emma Perdrix - France Farid Mursalzade - Azerbaijan Friedhelm Egerer - Germany Jack O'Dwyer-Henry - Ireland Jonathan Mayo - United Kingdom Kevin Menagie - Netherlands Leika Guerrero - United Kingdom Lisa Kaldowski - Germany Lisa Stulic - Sweden Lovro Ušeničnik - Slovenia Luc Ludwig Alexander Zettl - Germany Marine Mecenero - France Natalia Chicioroaga - Romania Olena Gorduz - Ukraine Sara Bechtler - Germany Timur Malik Maksudiy - Uzbekistan Local Coordinators Maria Szczerbowska Agnieszka Tararuj-Makni Interpreters Piotr Obszarski Agnieszka Homańska Andrzej Krystosiak Aleksandra Leks Natalia Drobik Hanna Jaśkiewicz Ewelina Marjańska