Info
Parties and Candidates
PC001
Registration requirements for parties (Chamber 1)
Question: What are the registration requirements for political parties running for national elections (Chamber 1)?
Answer(s):
a . Signature requirement (specify requirement) f . Other
Comments: Article 196: § 1 In the process of distribution of seats in the constituencies only the lists of candidates for deputies of the electoral committees whose lists at least 5% of valid votes in the country, shall be taken into account.
§ 2 Lists of candidates for deputies of coalition electoral committees shall be included in the distribution of seats in constituencies where the list received at least 8% of the valid votes in the country.
Source: Election Code: Act of 5 January 2011 on Election Code to the Sejm of the Republic of Poland and to the Senate of the Republic of Poland, article 196: https://legislationline.org/sites/default/files/documents/40/POL_Election%20Code.pdf
Verified: 2024/11/13
PC003
Registration requirements for candidates (Chamber 1)
Question: What are the legal qualifications to become a candidate at legislative elections (Chamber 1)?
Answer(s):
a . Age b . Citizenship
Comments: Every citizen having the right to vote, who, no later than on the day of the elections, has attained the age of 21 years, shall be eligible to be elected to the Sejm.
Source: The Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 2nd April, 1997, as amended in 2009, article 99 (1): https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Poland_2009
Verified: 2024/11/13
PC008
Independent candidates
Question: Can independent candidates compete in presidential or legislative elections?
Answer(s):
e . In both presidential and legislative elections
Comments: Candidates for Deputies and Senators may be nominated by political parties or voters.
An application for candidacy to the post of President of the Republic must be supported by signatures of at least 100,000 citizens having the right to vote to the Sejm.
Source: The Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 2nd April, 1997, as amended in 2009, article 100 (1): https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Poland_2009
Election Code: Act of 5 January 2011 on Election Code to the Sejm of the Republic of Poland and to the Senate of the Republic of Poland, article 90 (2): https://legislationline.org/sites/default/files/documents/40/POL_Election%20Code.pdf
Verified: 2024/11/13
PC012
Public funding of parties
Question: Do political parties receive direct/indirect public funding?
Answer(s):
b . Direct c . Indirect
Comments: Expenses incurred by the election committees in connection with called elections are covered from their own resources.
The political party, whose election committee participated in the elections, the political party comprising an election coalition committee, and the election committee of voters participating in elections to the Sejm and the Senate is entitled to a grant from the state budget, hereinafter referred to as an “entity subsidy”, for each mandate for deputy and senator obtained.
An election committee has the right to free broadcasting of electoral programs through public radio and television broadcasters.
Source: Election Code: Act of 5 January 2011 on Election Code to the Sejm of the Republic of Poland and to the Senate of the Republic of Poland, articles 126, 150(1) and 252(1): https://legislationline.org/sites/default/files/documents/40/POL_Election%20Code.pdf
Verified: 2024/11/13
PC015
Question: What is the basis of the public funding?
Answer(s):
b . Based on result of previous election c . Based on current legislative representation
Comments: § 1 The political party, whose election committee participated in the elections, the political party
comprising an election coalition committee, and the election committee of voters participating in
elections to the Sejm and the Senate is entitled to a grant from the state budget, hereinafter
referred to as an “entity subsidy”, for each mandate for deputy and senator obtained. Expenses
incurred as a result of the entity subsidy shall be covered by the state budget from the section on
Budget for public finance and financial institutions.
The political party whose election committee participated in the elections, the political party
that is part of the election coalition, and the election committee of voters participating in
European Parliament elections are entitled to a subsidy hereinafter referred to as the “entity
subsidy” from the state budget, for each mandate for each MEP, obtained. Expenses related to
the entity subsidy shall be covered by the state budget in the section on Budget for public
finances and financial institutions.
Source: Election Code: Act of 5 January 2011 on Election Code to the Sejm of the Republic of Poland and to the Senate of the Republic of Poland, article 150 and 151: https://legislationline.org/sites/default/files/documents/40/POL_Election%20Code.pdf
Verified: 2024/11/13
PC017
Question: Are political parties entitled to private funding?
Answer:
a . Yes
Comments: Art. 132
§ 1 The financial resources of the election committee of a political party can only come from the
fund the election of the party, created pursuant to the provisions of the Act of 27 June 1997 on
Political Parties (Journal of Laws of 2001 No. 79, item. 857, with further . d...)
§ 2 The funding coalition election committee shall only come from election funds of political
parties comprising the coalition election.
§ 1 Election committees may raise and disburse funds only for purposes related to the electio
Source: Election Code: Act of 5 January 2011 on Election Code to the Sejm of the Republic of Poland and to the Senate of the Republic of Poland, article 129 and 132: https://legislationline.org/sites/default/files/documents/40/POL_Election%20Code.pdf
Verified: 2024/11/13
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