Poland parliamentary elections 2023: ODIHR limited election observation mission final report

The 2023 parliamentary elections in Poland were competitive and voters had a wide choice of political alternatives, but the ruling party was given a clear advantage through its undue influence over the use of state resources and the public media. Contestants campaigned freely, but intolerant, xenophobic and misogynistic rhetoric were widespread. The election administration worked efficiently, but its decision-making processes were not transparent. Election day was calm, and voters enthusiastically turned out in large numbers. The process was well managed in the limited number of polling stations visited.

These are some of the main conclusions from the final report on the 15 October 2023 parliamentary elections published today by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

The report offers 27 recommendations to improve the conduct of elections and to support efforts to bring them further in line with OSCE commitments, as well as other international obligations and standards for democratic elections.

Key recommendations include:

• Ensuring that changes to the electoral legal framework are made well in advance of elections, allowing for sufficient public consultation and adequate time for effective implementation;

• Announcing the National Election Commission’s sessions in advance and opening them to the media, citizen and international observers, as well as the public;

• Amending the electoral legal framework to explicitly prohibit the abuse of state resources in election campaigns, as well as limiting the announcement of new state spending during the campaign period;

• Publishing all political party and campaign finance reports and ensuring they are timely, comprehensive and easy to understand, with interim reporting requirements before election day;

• Regulating campaigning by third parties, including setting requirements for registration, financing and disclosure of third-party campaigners;

• Selecting public broadcaster managers through an inclusive, competitive and transparent process;

ODIHR deployed a Limited Election Observation Mission for these elections from 4 September to 22 October 2023. All 57 countries across the OSCE region have formally committed to follow up promptly on ODIHR’s election assessments and recommendations. In The ODIHR Electoral Recommendations Database tracks the extent to which recommendations are implemented by states across the OSCE region.