Poles in Ukraine barred from voting in presidential election
Photo: Poles in Ukraine unable to vote in Polish presidential election (Getty Images)
Poles residing in Ukraine will not be able to vote in the Polish presidential election, the first round of which will take place on May 18. Voters must return home to cast their ballots, according to the Polsat News.
The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has decided not to establish a polling district in Ukraine. A similar decision was made for the parliamentary elections to the Sejm and Senate in October 2023, as well as for the European Parliament elections in June 2024.
"If elections are taking place and, for example, there is an air raid and instructions to go to a shelter, what should be done with the commission, and how can we avoid delays under such conditions?" said Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Paweł Wroński.
He emphasized that Poland is following the same rules that other countries apply in this regard.
According to Wroński, Polish citizens residing in Ukraine must return to Poland to vote.
"The exact number of eligible Polish voters in Ukraine is hard to determine. It’s estimated to be around 1,400 people," he added.
The outlet noted that since the start of the full-scale invasion, most countries have refrained from creating polling stations in Ukraine. However, some voting systems allow mail-in or proxy voting.
For example, French citizens used this option during the 2024 snap parliamentary elections, as did Americans voting in that year’s US presidential election, while in Ukraine.
Romania, however, deviated from this approach during its presidential election, the first round of which was held on May 4, with the second round scheduled for May 18.
Romanian citizens can vote at three polling stations in Ukraine: the embassy in Kyiv and locations in Chernivtsi and Solotvyno in Zakarpattia.
To minimize election fraud, a rule was adopted requiring polling stations to close during air raid alerts and reopen only once the alert is lifted.
Poland’s presidential election
Poland’s presidential election is scheduled for May 18, 2025. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in the first round, a runoff will be held on June 1. The new president must be sworn in on August 6, 2025.
Incumbent President Andrzej Duda cannot run again, as the Polish Constitution limits presidents to two terms.
The main contenders include:
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Karol Nawrocki, nominated by the Law and Justice party;
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Rafał Trzaskowski, mayor of Warsaw and a representative of the Civic Coalition;
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Sławomir Mentzen, representing the far-right party Confederation.
