Huge interest in elections abroad – MFA data. How to vote abroad? Until when can you register?

MFA: significant interest in voting from abroad TVN24

As of May 20, more than 211 thousand voters have signed up on the lists maintained by the consulate, bringing the total to 695,886 potential voters, as reported by Justyna Chrzanowska from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday. She noted that the considerable interest has led to recent disruptions in the e-Elections system’s functionality.

What should you know about voting from abroad?

• the second round of voting for the President of the Republic of Poland is scheduled for June 1,
• voting in the Americas will occur on May 31, 2025,
• voters abroad on the repeat voting day can cast their votes at the same polling stations used on May 18, 2025,
• voters who were included in the voter lists for the first round do not need to reapply for inclusion in the voter list until the second round,
• voters can request a change of polling place until May 27, 2025, if they plan to vote in a district set up abroad,
• applications for inclusion in the voter list can be submitted until May 27 this year via the Internet, by email, in person, or by mail,
• voters must submit a certificate of voting rights (indicating the right to vote on the day of the repeat vote) by May 29, 2025, to the relevant territorial consul in hard copy with a handwritten signature.

– It is important to note that over 509 thousand citizens registered abroad for the first round of presidential elections. Following the first round, the opportunity to add oneself to the voter lists kept by consuls was activated, and we observed a remarkable increase in those registrations – stated Justyna Chrzanowska, Plenipotentiary of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for organizing elections for the President of the Republic of Poland abroad, during the briefing.

– The response has been tremendous, and since May 20, in just 9 days, over 211 thousand voters have been added to the lists maintained by the consulate, resulting in a total of 695,886 eligible voters – she noted.

She emphasized that this figure will also encompass voters who arrive on election day with a certificate of voting rights. – As we recall, there were as many as 17 thousand voters in the first round, marking a historic number of Polish citizens who registered to vote from abroad – she added.

When will the second round of the presidential election occur? The second round of the presidential election in Poland in 2025 is set for Sunday, June 1, 2025 PAP

Technical difficulties with the e-Elections system

Chrzanowska also addressed issues regarding the e-Wybory system, which were reported yesterday after 10 p.m.

– This surge was quite evident during the final hours of our servers’ operations. We acknowledge that there were some interruptions in the e-elections system’s functionality. However, it was always possible to send a notification to the consul via email. For those who wish to participate in the elections, please remember that you have until May 29 to obtain a certificate of voting rights, which can be collected from both the consul and the municipal office.

Election silence before the second round of elections Election silence before the second round of presidential elections will commence at midnight on the night from Friday to Saturday, May 30, 2025, and will continue until the end of voting, at 9:00 p.m. on Sunday. PAP

On Tuesday, Krzysztof Lisek, director of the International Republican Institute in Chişinău, reported on the X platform about technical issues related to the overload of the e-Wybory servers.

„Important information for the Polish diaspora! Yesterday, around 10:30 PM, the http://ewybory.msz.gov.pl system malfunctioned due to server overload (with several thousand individuals registering each hour)! You can collect your certificate of voting rights from the consul until tomorrow. Please reach out to the consulates!” – he posted.

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