Polls open in Poland's local elections

Local elections have commenced, with residents across Poland casting their votes for councilors, village heads, mayors, and city presidents.

The 2024 local government elections are underway in Poland. Voting at a polling station in Szczecin, April 7. Electoral silence is in effect until 9 p.m.

Photo: PAP/Marcin Bielecki

Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. and will remain open until 9 p.m., and election silence is required throughout the voting period.

There are a total of 29 million eligible voters, with 11,000 committees vying for votes.

Voters will elect nearly 47,000 aldermen and more than 2,500 mayors and other local government officials nationwide.

Local governments in Poland possess authority over various aspects of governance within their jurisdictions, including managing local infrastructure, providing public services, and implementing policies related to education, healthcare, and urban development.

Also, they will play a crucial role in the allocation of billions of euros in European Union funds.

A second round of voting, if needed, will be held on April 21.

Run-offs between the two most popular mayoral contenders will take place where the winning candidate fails to garner more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round.

(ał)

Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters