Five things to know on October 16, 2023

The democratic opposition has a chance of winning 248 seats in the Sejm, according to an exit poll by Ipsos. The study shows that Law and Justice can count on 200 seats, and the Civic Coalition on 163.

Third Way (55 seats), Left (30 seats) and Konfederacja (12 seats) also enter the Sejm. According to Ipsos, voter turnout was 72.9 percent.

READ ALSO: Exit poll results: the opposition has a chance to take power

On Sunday sharply at 9 p.m., the electoral silence ended and voting in the parliamentary elections officially ended. These enjoyed record interest among Poles, which was confirmed by the first attendance results presented by the National Electoral Commission.

In many committees, after the silence ended, there were still huge queues. In Wrocław’s Jagodno district, the last votes were cast just before 3 a.m. Those interested in participating in the elections waited patiently for hours and equipped themselves with jackets and blankets. Hot meals were delivered to the premises – TVN24 reporter Tomasz Kanik came across a group with pizza. There were also people handing out warm tea and water among the waiting people.

READ ALSO: Equipped with jackets, blankets and pizza. Well after midnight and they are still waiting to vote

Law and Justice lost 11 percentage points compared to the previous elections in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship – according to an exit poll conducted by Ipsos.

Małopolskie is the region where support for PiS has decreased the most. Jarosław Kaczyński’s party saw a slightly smaller decline – by 10 percentage points – in Podkarpacie.

READ ALSO: Ipsos poll. PiS lost most in its own strongholds

– This is the end of this bad time, the end of PiS rule. We will create a new, good, democratic government with our partners in the near future – said the leader of the Civic Coalition on Sunday after the announcement of the poll results. Donald Tusk.

– We will do everything possible to ensure that our program continues to be implemented despite the coalition that is against us, and this is not a closed path at the moment – said the PiS president Jaroslaw Kaczynski. – There are days of fighting ahead of us, days of various types of tension, but the finale in the form of a continuation of our program will ultimately be our victory, but above all Poland’s, – he said.

Third Way she wanted and there are many indications that she will be an anchor of democracy in the coming years in Poland – said the leader of Poland 2050, Szymon Hołownia, on Sunday evening. PSL president Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz added that the elections turned out to be a day of great change in the country.

– After 18 years, the Left returns to co-ruling. I want to tell you that no one will take this away from us, said one of the leaders of the Left, Włodzimierz Czarzasty.

Confederation politicians did not hide their disappointment. – We were supposed to overturn this table, and everything indicates that we failed, said the group’s co-chairman Sławomir Mentzen.

Turnout in the elections to the Sejm and Senate was a record 72.9%. – according to the Ipsos exit poll. This is definitely more than in the first partially free parliamentary elections in 1989, when the previous record turnout was broken. Then 62.7% of voters went to the polls. entitled to vote.

There was great mobilization among the youngest – while in the 2019 elections the turnout in the 18-29 age group was the lowest of all (46.4%), this year it was 68.8%. entitled. Just like four years ago, women (73.7%) were more willing to vote than men (72.0%).

READ ALSO: There has never been such a turnout before. Great mobilization of young people, bravo women