Meeting during their 36th Session in Strasbourg, Congress members examined, on 2 April 2019, an information report on the assessment of local government elections held in Poland on 21 October 2018.
The report, presented by Jos WIENEN (Netherlands, EPP/CCE), states that considering the complexity of the multi-level local electoral process in Poland and the recent introduction of significant changes to the Electoral Code, the polling observed by the Congress teams was well organised and carried out in an orderly manner.
The Congress welcomes the high turnout at the polling stations, an indication of the high level of public confidence in the election management process. It is also pleased to note that domestic NGOs are now able to observe elections.
The Congress nevertheless invites the authorities to implement coherent E-day procedures, to step up organisational resources and training for Precinct Election Commissions and to raise citizens’ awareness of the importance of the secrecy of the vote. To ensure the validity of the vote, clear instructions regarding the marking of the ballots are advisable.
In addition, in the interest of legal certainty and in accordance with the recommendations of the Venice Commission, fundamental changes in the electoral law should be introduced at least one year before the next elections.
The report is a follow-up to an Electoral Assessment Mission of reduced scope, which was deployed from 18 to 22 October 2018. The delegation consisted of twelve international observers, all of them members of the Congress. On election day itself, six teams travelled to different municipalities including Warsaw, Łódź, Lublin, Kraków, Wrocław and adjacent rural areas to observe the voting and counting in some 80 polling stations.
*** 36th Session of the Congress ***
