The Polish Supreme Court ruled that allegations of electoral irregularities in 11 local polling stations, raised in a presidential election protest, were well-founded. However, the court determined that the discrepancies uncovered did not alter the overall result of the second round of the presidential election

Evidence presented during the proceedings confirmed the irregularities beyond doubt, said Supreme Court judge Adam Redzik. 

„Whether these were the result of human error or deliberate misconduct is a matter for the public prosecutor to investigate — it falls outside the remit of the electoral proceedings overseen by the Supreme Court,” he explained in his reasoning.

The review was carried out by the Supreme Court’s Chamber of Extraordinary Control and Public Affairs during an open session. 

The protest prompted a re-examination of ballots and a recount in more than a dozen polling districts, including those in Kraków, Olesno, Mińsk Mazowiecki, Strzelce Opolskie, Grudziądz, Gdańsk, Bielsko-Biała, Tarnów, Katowice, Tychy, Kamienna Góra, and Brześć Kujawski.

Sylwester Marciniak, chair of the National Electoral Commission (PKW), acknowledged during the session that the issues raised „require clarification — including potential criminal proceedings.” 

He estimated the discrepancies affected around 4,000 votes. „Such mistakes should not occur; every ballot must accurately reflect the voter’s choice,” he noted. 

„However, given that the final margin between the two candidates was nearly 370,000 votes, the identified irregularities cannot be considered decisive in determining the election’s outcome.”

Mr Marciniak also pointed to one positive finding: in Tarnów, one of the districts named in the protest, a full ballot review confirmed the official tally matched the final protocol, leading the court to dismiss the objection in that case.

Prosecutor Renata Macierzyńska-Jankowska, representing the Prosecutor General, admitted that the initial position was to dismiss the protest outright. However, after the ballot inspections and subsequent presentation of new evidence, she confirmed that the Prosecutor General’s office had revised its stance. 

“The violations of electoral law, whether in the vote counting process or, more significantly, in the preparation of official protocols, are now undeniable,” she said, adding that the protest should be upheld, albeit without any bearing on the legitimacy of the election result.

Since early morning hours, supporters of each candidate in the previous election gathered in front of the Supreme Court in Warsaw to show support for their cause. 

Source: PAP

Photo: @BedPaw

Tomasz Modrzejewski