The editorial desk of the wPolityce.pl portal continues to report on issues that can arise from issuing certificates that allow voting at any polling station. A workflow concern is raised: if a dishonest voter makes 100 identical copies of a certificate, voting could occur in more than one polling station. Election committee members may struggle to verify the authenticity of such certificates effectively. This observation came from a person working on an election committee on October 15.
Certificate of right to vote anywhere
The portal’s editorial team has received new information about parliamentary elections. One election committee member described the possibility of voting based on a certificate at multiple polling stations.
If a voter obtains a certificate that authorizes voting at any polling station, the individual is removed from the voters list of their registered residence.
An election committee member also notes the involvement of a designated committee member in this process.
On election day, a citizen presenting such a certificate attends each polling station where the electoral commission verifies the certificate and, for example, the identity document. The commission then notes the voter’s details on the electoral roll and issues the ballot papers. In addition, the commission accepts the certificate and attaches it as an appendix to the voters list for the specific polling station.
The situation is described as straightforward and familiar to anyone who has served on an election commission in recent years. Yet questions remain about its implications.
Is it possible to effectively verify a voter?
If a dishonest citizen duplicates the certificate hundreds of times, they could vote at more than one polling location. Committee members may not always confirm the certificate’s originality. Even if suspicions arise and personal registration records are checked, authorities may still confirm eligibility to vote based on the certificate.
A informant indicates this point. Although the certificates carry a small hologram, a committee member is not allowed to point out its absence or a counterfeit sticker that imitates it.
According to a member of the Electoral Commission, there can even be scenarios where a person with a non existent PESEL number and forged documents, such as an identity card or the certificate, could participate in elections conducted under this system.
After an election, such certificates are placed with the electoral rolls, packed in paper envelopes, and sealed. The National Electoral Commission does not scan or record these certificates electronically. It appears that verification of potential fraud would require opening the bags, removing the certificates, and assessing their authenticity.
An electoral commission staff member emphasizes that this form of verification is very difficult or even impossible in practice.
Further information from a National Electoral Commission representative suggests the commission does not know the total number of certificates issued by various agencies across the country.
One electoral commission member reports that while the commission has published the number of votes cast using such certificates, it cannot compare those numbers with the total certificates issued by officials.
The same source notes that twice as many voters used certificates as in the previous elections, with totals under 600,000.
“The current electoral system is leaky.”
A commission employee outlines potential problems arising from the present system, such as hundreds of people holding 100 copies of certificates and moving through multiple buildings. This could lead to chaos, confusion, and deeper tensions among citizens.
In summary, the current electoral framework is leaky and creates opportunities for fraud, while the National Electoral Commission faces challenges in detecting it effectively.
The informant argues for a correction to enable accurate, 100 percent verification of voters who vote outside their place of residence while preserving the ability to vote at any polling location. The goal would be to deter potential fraudsters from voting at multiple polling stations.
A simple solution proposed is to eliminate paper certificates from the entire election process and replace them with an electronic certificate integrated into the mObywatel application. This would involve scanning the commission number and a unique code that confirms authorization to vote and blocks further voting after use in subsequent polling stations.
The discussion ends with the suggestion to implement electronic verification to enhance accuracy and security in the voting process.