It would be hard to oppose efforts aimed at boosting voter turnout
The head of the National Electoral Commission, Sylwester Marciniak, commented on a draft amendment to the Electoral Act proposed by the ruling party. He pointed out that the commission cannot allow vote counting to stretch over many days. He emphasized that prompt and transparent vote tallies are essential for trust in elections.
“It’s the right intention.”
In remarks to a press agency, the chair of the National Electoral Commission discussed the changes under consideration in the electoral law. The draft contemplates increasing the number of polling stations, altering the vote counting method, and improving transportation for voters who are disabled or over sixty. The objective is to make voting easier and more accessible for all citizens.
Marciniak underscored that expanding access to the ballot helps fulfill the state’s obligation to enable citizens to exercise their voting rights. The PKW’s core mandate is to strengthen democracy, promote civil society, boost electoral participation, and safeguard civil rights.
He noted that there are cities where reaching a polling place is challenging and some people lack reliable transport. Such voters have historically faced barriers to voting. He acknowledged that the drafters aim to create a system where anyone who wants to participate can do so. At the same time, he called for a careful analysis of how local conditions in municipalities could shape the consequences of these changes.
According to the head of the PKW, information under the draft would be provided to election commissions by local authorities within one month of the law taking effect.
There is also a plan to assess staffing for election committees. The draft suggests merging two district committees in local government elections, a move designed to prevent the earlier, large-scale staffing challenges observed in 2018. Pending potential amendments to the electoral law, the final form of the new provisions will become clearer.
Marciniak highlighted the importance of timely results, noting that extending the period before announcing outcomes can raise suspicion. He stated that the current rules already provide for timely results, and thus far there have been no signs of irregularities in determining winners.
The draft also introduces a requirement to file a purge declaration for PKW members appointed by the Sejm and for electoral commissioners born before August 1, 1972. Marciniak indicated that this change arose from proposals by the commission and from amendments forwarded to the government after elections and to the Sejm Rules Committee.
“I see it as a political tactic.”
Marciniak also touched on statements by both the ruling party and the opposition about monitoring elections due to concerns about fraud. He said that he is accustomed to parties mobilizing their supporters in this manner and expressed mild disappointment that trust in election authorities is sometimes questioned. He described such rhetoric as a political tactic and urged avoiding actions that undermine public confidence or the legitimacy of elected bodies, regardless of which party prevails.
He saw opportunity in political discourse to rally volunteers. He stated a goal of recruiting enough people to staff electoral commissions, envisioning a scenario where every nominating committee includes at least one member. He hoped this mobilization would ease the process of finding candidates for district committees.
Marciniak did not rule out raising compensation for members of electoral commissions in the future if inflation and budget conditions allow.
Central Electoral Register
The head of the NEC also discussed another draft amendment to the electoral law currently under review by the Sejm. This proposal contemplates creating a central register of voters. He noted that the legislative process could extend through the early months of the year, with a potential signature by the president as early as February or March 2023 at the earliest, several months before parliamentary elections. He remained skeptical about whether the Central Registry would be launched before the elections, given past delays.
Marciniak explained that the central registry has long been advocated by election authorities. He argued it would help prevent issues with voter rolls and ensure that lists submitted to constituency commissions are accurate. Nevertheless, he stressed that the system must undergo proper testing and monitoring before deployment.
There is a sense of cautious optimism about the possibility of launching the registry before the 2023 elections, but realism remains essential.
He also noted that redrawing constituency boundaries in the Sejm elections in the near future is unlikely due to population shifts. The commission proposed changes to the number of deputies in certain constituencies, but political will to enact such changes is currently limited. The PKW argues that adjusting constituencies should be anchored in amendments to the Electoral Act and requires political consensus.
Marciniak suggested granting the PKW the authority to alter the number of deputies per constituency in response to demographic changes. He criticized the current approach as ineffective when political power lacks interest in making adjustments.
The PKW leader also discussed extending local government terms as a possible solution to the scheduling challenge of parliamentary and local elections in 2023. He argued that coordinating multiple elections increases complexity, including the preparation of electoral rolls, candidate lists, and the extensive ceremony of drawing numbers and printing ballots. He warned that overlapping campaigns make it harder to separate political activity from the voting process, potentially affecting fairness and equality of elections.
In conclusion, he stressed that local elections remain the most intricate due to the high number of committees and candidates, and sometimes a second voting round. He warned that in a crowded timetable, finding enough volunteers could become difficult and could raise the risk of mistakes. Delaying elections, he suggested, could offer a calmer environment for both electoral commissions and the initial stages of organization.
This approach is not a matter of convenience for election authorities but a priority to ensure credible results and avoid questions about the outcome.
Marciniak expressed hope that the Prime Minister would set the earliest feasible date for local elections, anticipating a likely early April window in a six-month horizon before the next parliamentary cycle. With European Parliament elections typically in early June, he noted a two-month distinction in timing as a meaningful difference.