The Elderly and their issues in the selected electoral pleas in 2018

In the last 25 years Polish society’s aging process has been intensified what caused a constant growth of the number of people in the age 65 and more. Furthermore, according to demographic prognosis, the share of this age group will be rising in the next years, as well as the role of “silver” electorate. In the local governments selections in 2018 the Elderly were perceived as an important electorate group. Their problems were not ignored and political groups noticed the necessity of winning this group round. In campaigns and election programs candidates focused on the seniors’ needs. The main propositions dealt with safety and health issues, as well as concerns regarding institutional solutions targeted for this group specifically. It can be said the Elderly became one of the most desirable voters next to the Young on Polish political scene.

The Issue of Direct Submission of Candidates for Members of District Electoral Commissions

The aim of the article is to analyze the solution that allows voters to report directly to a member of the district electoral commission (without the participation of the election committee), in particular to present the advantages of such a solution from the point of view of the fairness of the election. The indicated procedure is an interesting solution both from the point of view of the voter and the election administration. In the first case, it eliminates the need for the voter to manifest his political sympathies. In the second one, it regulates the procedure of supplementing the committee members in the event of vacancies. As part of this paper, an attempt was also made to answer the question of what potential this procedure may have in the context of improving the electoral process. The formal and legal method was used in the work.

The Responsibility of the Financial Representative of an Electoral Committee for Illegal Financial Benefits Obtained by the Electoral Committee

The paper discusses the question of the nature of the forfeiture of the equivalent of a material benefit, as provided for in the Electoral Code, applied to the financial representative of the committee, and whether and under what conditions this regulation can be considered constitutionally permissible. This issue has not been the subject of extensive doctrinal analysis but is of practical importance. The article discusses the purpose of financing party electoral committees exclusively through the party’s electoral fund, as well as the reasons for introducing the discussed solution into the Electoral Code. Then, guided by the proportionality test developed by the Constitutional Tribunal, an assessment of the usefulness, necessity, and proportionality sensu stricto was carried out. This analysis led to the conclusion that the provisions establishing financial liability for the financial representative are indeed restrictive, but in the existing normative environment, they may be considered as meeting constitutional requirements.