Change in the Status and Powers of the Pool Watchers after the Enactment of the January 26, 2023 Amendments to the Election Code

The amendment to the Election Code made on 2023 significantly changed the status and powers of the pool watchers. If they observe the voting for at least 5 hours and observe the entire process of determining the results of voting until the signing of the voting protocol, they will receive 40% of the flat-rate allowance of members of ward electoral commissions. The chairmen of ward electoral commissions are obliged to keep records of the working time of the pool watchers. The most controversial issue is granting them the possibility of registering all activities of ward electoral commissions on election day using their own devices recording all activities of the ward electoral commission also during voting. This solution violates the principle of secrecy of voting, the right to privacy, and may be treated as an unacceptable form of pressure on the voter regarding the content of his vote.

Nacional Electoral Commission – History and Present Day

This paper aims at sectional presenting of the evolution of the National Electoral Commission (PKW) as the highest and the only permanent election commission in Poland – from the interwar period to the modern times. For that reason, this paper enumerates the members of the first polish National Electoral Commission which was constituted by the regulations of the Electoral System to Sejm of the Republic of Poland of 1922 as well as the way of appointing of PKW in the consecutive electoral statutes. Furthermore, during analysing of the personel of PKW, the author references to the provisions of Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters adopted by the Venice Commission. The main conclusion of this paper is that contemporary and historical structure of the personal composition of PKW are very similar to each other.

Elections in the Time of Crisis. Case Study of the United Kingdom in 2021

The text analyzes the 2021 elections in Great Britain, taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Attention is focused on the adaptive measures taken to maintain electoral integrity despite the health crisis. The author emphasizes that the pandemic forced a reevaluation of electoral norms and practices, prompting innovation. The article explores ten key areas, including: special voting arrangements, organization of elections, sanitary and epidemiological restrictions, changes in the structure of electoral administration, as well as the impact of the pandemic on the election campaign and turnout. Critical attention is drawn to the too late start of legislative and organizational preparations for the postponed elections by the central authorities.

In this paper an attempt is made to determine the material, subjective and temporal scope of application of an electoral exception provided for under Art. 31 (3) of the Copyright Law. To this end, normative acts, judicial decisions, and doctrinal views were examined. Also, the author analyses the concept of “election event” and the relevance copyright law has to it. In conclusions, a postulate de lege ferenda is formulated.

Functioning of Precinct Election Commissions in Poland: Challenges Identified in Empirical Research

This article analyses the functioning of the Precinct Election Commissions (PECs) in Poland, focusing on the identification of key problems and errors that may affect the electoral process. The study, conducted in the form of surveys among local government administration staff at the municipal level, revealed areas that require special attention, such as confirming voters‘ identities, adding them to the voters’ register, and correctly filling in election protocols and preparing deposits. The article points out that there are sometimes problems such as committees working too long due to poor organisation, too few members due to resignations and lack of volunteers, and difficulties in finding voters in the register. The article can contribute to the literature on electoral administration by suggesting developments in the optimisation of the electoral process, in particular the training of OKW members

Formalization of Citizen’s Participation in the Political Life of a Multinational State at the Beginning of the 20th Century – the Case of Monarchical Constitutional Austria

The main research problem of the article is the issue of participation of citizens of a multinational state in public life and the process of obtaining formal legal guarantees from the institutions of the Habsburg state at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, together with legislative changes in the area of electoral law and the right of association. The author discusses the specificity of the legal and political solutions brought by the so-called The December Constitution and subsequent legislation regarding, among others, association. The author focused mainly on the legal aspects of the formulation of electoral law based on the legislation of that time and presents general conclusions pointing to the importance of the process of formalizing citizens’ participation in the politics of the monarchical constitutional Austria and the justification for establishing the so-called The December Constitution, institutions for the protection of public subjective rights.