The second round of the municipal elections is scheduled for Sunday, with polling taking place in no fewer than 748 locations across the country. Nine major provincial cities are included in the heat of the contest, and residents in 60 so-called presidential towns will also vote. Experts caution that surprises are possible, pointing to an observable shift in voter sentiment across many cities and municipalities. As political scientist Bartłomiej Bishop notes, the trend toward change is clear in these local elections, with changes already evident in several communities.
In the nine provincial capitals, the President positions will be up for grabs in Gorzów Wielkopolski, Kielce, Kraków, Olsztyn, Poznań, Rzeszów, Toruń, Wrocław, and Zielona Góra. In addition, residents of sixty towns frequently described as presidential towns will participate, including Bełchatów, Bielsko-Biała, Częstochowa, Elbląg, and Gdynia. Ipsos exit polls are reported in Kraków, Wrocław, and Rzeszów, offering early snapshots of the race in those cities.
Surprises cannot be ruled out. The same analyst emphasizes that the unmistakable current of change runs through the local elections. Incumbent parties often hold the edge in these contests, and many mayors or presidents secure another term. Yet this year seems different, with multiple signs suggesting the ordinary pattern could be disrupted. Some candidates who did reach the second round did so against expectations, while others have found themselves unexpectedly facing another vote. Kraków serves as a notable example, where polls show a narrow gap between the leading contenders, influenced in part by the broader political landscape and the potential support or non-support of larger political blocs. Voter turnout in the second round is also a critical factor, and early indicators hint that participation may dip in some areas.
– remarks by the political scientist Bartłomiej Bishop.
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The turnout may dip in the second round
A central question is how voters with fixed party loyalties will cast their ballots in cities where their party no longer presents a candidate. A sizable share of these voters may sit out the second round because their preferred candidate is not in the running. Still, mobilization could surge in places where there is strong discontent with the incumbent mayor. In Poznań, for instance, the issue becomes whether voters will rally against Jacek Jaśkowiak. Conversely, some analysts anticipate greater engagement in Wrocław, where residents expressed significant discontent after the first round and where the challenge to President Sutryk remains palpable. Poznań, a city in Greater Poland, tends to lean toward centrist and left-leaning parties, adding another layer of complexity to the turnout forecast. Overall, the expectation is that Poznań’s turnout in this round may fall short of the first, reflecting broader hesitation among voters who feel their options are narrowed.
– a University of Warsaw analyst notes.
Voting will take place on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., and in the second round, the candidate who secures the most valid votes wins the seat. The day will unfold with the usual mix of local campaigns, last-minute endorsements, and the quiet, deliberate work of voters deciding who should lead their city into the next term.
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– OUR INTERVIEW. Will there be another sensation in Rzeszów? Szumny says a lively spring could begin in the city as change looms
– ONLY HERE. Czerwiński notes Jaśkowiak’s bid to energize Poznań with high-profile party activists
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Source: wPolityce