Local Elections: One Election – Three Different Electoral Systems

During the local elections to be held on October 21, three different electoral systems will apply. In addition, an amendment to the Electoral Code adopted in January introduced new rules for conducting them.

The Stefan Batory Foundation has prepared guides explaining the key rules of the autumn election. They will help female and male candidates prepare electoral strategies, and citizens understand how their votes will translate into the voting results.

Four years ago, running in local elections attracted considerable interest. In 2014, 155,000 people stood for election to municipal councils, 65,000 to county councils, and 9,000 to provincial assemblies. A total of 229,000 people ran in the elections.

How can you take matters into your own hands?

– Local elections are a good opportunity to take matters into your own hands. Female and male activists can gain greater influence over decisions affecting their communities. Unfortunately, a lack of knowledge about electoral rules and procedures is often a problem. Activists do not have the same expert support as political parties. That is why our publications are addressed primarily to them. We explain the rules governing elections, who can stand for election, how to establish an electoral committee, how to finance a campaign and many other issues – explains Joanna Załuska, head of the Democracy department at the forumIdei of the Stefan Batory Foundation.

How many electoral systems are there?

Several votes are held during local elections. Voters are reminded of this by the different colors of the ballot papers. We elect councillors at various levels of local government, as well as village heads, mayors and city presidents. Depending on the body and the size of the municipality, as many as three electoral systems apply in local elections.

In elections for village heads, mayors and city presidents, an absolute majority of votes (50% + 1 vote) is required to win the mandate. If no candidate obtains it, the two people with the best results advance to the second round.

– Experience shows that a second round of elections is needed in about one-third of Polish municipalities. Its existence encourages more candidates to stand for election. For voters, it is an opportunity to Adam Gendźwiłł, an expert at the Stefan Batory Foundation and author of the study “Rules for the 2018 Local Elections.”

Councillors in municipalities with up to 20,000 residents are elected in majority elections in single-member districts (SMDs). There is no second round here, and the mandate goes to the person with the best result. The system provides no “consolation prizes,” and a large number of votes cast by voters is “wasted” – it does not translate into seats. Losers – even if they receive 20–30% of the votes in their districts – cannot count on a mandate. This system works relatively best in small, cohesive local communities.

The proportional system allows different committees to win seats from a single electoral district, thereby more accurately reflecting voters’ preferences. In small electoral districts, this rule strengthens the advantage of the strongest committees. Proportional representation encourages unaffiliated activists to integrate and run together on a single list.

According to Dr. Gendźwiłł, from an electoral committee’s perspective, it is most advantageous to field the maximum number of candidates in a district, because each will bring some votes to the list. Nevertheless, this logic is not beneficial to the candidates themselves. – Colleagues from the same list are sometimes a greater threat and competition than rivals from other groups – the expert adds.

What did the amendment to the Electoral Code change?

The rules for organizing and conducting local elections changed at the beginning of this year following the adoption of the Act amending certain acts to increase citizens’ participation in the process of electing, operating and controlling certain public bodies.

Among other things, the act introduced

• a five-year term of office for local authorities (instead of four years)
• a two-term limit for village heads, mayors and city presidents (counted from this year’s elections)
• the abandonment of single-member electoral districts in municipalities with more than 20,000 residents (they will be replaced by a proportional system, as was the case in 2010)
• a ban on “double candidacy,” meaning simultaneously seeking a mandate as village head and councillor (except for the position of councillor in the same municipality).

What does the Foundation advise female and male candidates?

With people who are active in local communities and would like to stand for election in mind, but who have no experience exercising their passive electoral rights and are unfamiliar with the provisions of the amended Electoral Code, the Batory Foundation has prepared an accessible guide.

– How do you establish an electoral committee, how many signatures must be collected for candidate lists, and does every committee have to appoint a financial representative and maintain a separate bank account? In the guide https://www.batory.org.pl/upload/files/Programy%20operacyjne/Masz%20Glos/Poradnik%20kandydatki%20i%20kandydata_Piotr%20Jakubowski.pdf we explain these and other issues related to electoral law. We describe everything that female and male candidates should know when preparing to stand for election – adds the author of the study, Piotr Jakubowski.