National Electoral Commission: everyone can vote by correspondence

As the National Electoral Commission reports, in the upcoming presidential election every voter may vote by correspondence.

How do I register an intention to vote by correspondence?

National Electoral Commission:

For voting in Poland, the voter should notify the electoral commissioner of their intention to vote by correspondence through the municipal office of the municipality where the voter is included in the electoral roll, no later than 16 June 2020.

A voter subject to mandatory quarantine, isolation or home isolation on election day may register their intention to vote by correspondence no later than 23 June 2020. However, a voter who becomes subject to mandatory quarantine, isolation or home isolation after that date may register this intention no later than 26 June 2020.

For voting abroad, the voter should notify the competent consul of their intention to vote by correspondence no later than 15 June 2020.

It should be noted that registering an intention to vote by correspondence, both in Poland and abroad, also applies to a possible repeat vote (the so-called second round of the election). This means that if a repeat vote is held, the ballot package will be sent to the address indicated in the notification of the intention to vote by correspondence submitted before the first vote.

If a repeat vote is held, a voter who did not register an intention to vote by correspondence before the first vote may after the first voting day notify the electoral commissioner through the municipal office, or the consul (in the case of voting abroad), of their intention to vote by correspondence in the repeat vote, no later than 29 June 2020. A voter who on the day of the repeat vote will be subject to mandatory quarantine, isolation or home isolation, may register their intention to vote by correspondence no later than 7 July 2020. However, a voter who becomes subject to mandatory quarantine, isolation or home isolation after that date may register this intention no later than 10 July 2020.

For postal voting in Poland, the notification may be submitted orally, in writing or electronically through the service available on the e-PUAP platform. It should contain:

1. surname and first name (names);
2. father’s name;
3. date of birth;
4. the voter’s PESEL identification number;
5. the address to which the ballot package is to be sent;
6. a telephone number or email address.

If the notification of the intention to vote by correspondence does not meet the requirements specified in points 1–5, the electoral official, through the municipal office serving them, will call on the voter to complete it within one day of delivery of the notice. The notice may be given by telephone or electronically.

A voter who is not subject to mandatory quarantine, isolation or home isolation on election day, instead of indicating the address to which the ballot package is to be sent, may attach a declaration that they will collect the ballot package in person at the municipal office.

In the notification, a disabled voter voting in Poland may request that a Braille overlay for the ballot paper be sent with the ballot package.

For postal voting abroad, the notification may be submitted orally, in writing, by fax or electronically. It should contain:

1. surname and first name (names);
2. father’s name;
3. date of birth;
4. the voter’s PESEL identification number;
5. the voter’s address of residence or stay abroad;
6. the voter’s address of residence in Poland, i.e. the place where the voter is entered in the electoral register (for persons temporarily staying abroad);
7. the number of a valid Polish passport and the place and date of its issue (in countries where an identity card is sufficient to cross the border, the number of a valid identity card may be provided instead of the number of a valid Polish passport);
8. the address to which the consul is to send the ballot package, or a declaration that the ballot package will be collected in person from the consul;
9. a telephone number or email address.

If the notification of the intention to vote by correspondence does not meet the requirements specified in points 1–8, the consul will call on the voter to complete it within one day of delivery of the notice. The notice may be given by telephone or electronically.

Notifications submitted after the deadline, failing to meet the requirements or not completed within the deadline, as well as those submitted by voters who have applied for a voting proxy certificate or received a certificate of entitlement to vote, will be left unexamined.

Auxiliary templates for registering an intention to vote by correspondence in Poland and abroad are attached to the information.

More details are available on the National Electoral Commission website.