Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Łukasz Jasina told RMF FM that officials in the ministry “are worried about the deadlines for counting votes.” – There will certainly be committees that will not be able to do this – he said. He also appealed to voters not to “drag on the vote” and did not turn it into a “ritual”. – Let’s do it quickly, like a tick, – he said. The chairman of the National Electoral Commission, Sylwester Marciniak, has already reacted to the spokesman’s statement. – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for voting abroad – he reminded.
608,000 Poles registered with foreign electoral commissions to take part in the parliamentary elections and referendum. This is a record when it comes to interest in voting: eight years ago, almost 200,000 Poles registered to vote, and four years ago, about 314,000 people expressed such willingness.
The largest number of Poles registered with the commissions in London, Berlin, Munich, Dublin and The Hague. In the latter, as in Amsterdam, this is an increase of over 115 percent compared to the 2019 elections. In Breda, where there are three electoral commissions, there is an increase of over 210 percent – almost 10,000 voters registered there.
Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on counting votes abroad. “Let’s hope it gets done”
On Friday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Łukasz Jasina was asked about the record-breaking vote of the Polish diaspora. – I am a spokesman, so I am a person specializing in official optimism, but I will not hide from you that we are really very worried about this, we are worried about the deadlines for counting votes – he admitted.
– But on the other hand, something for something. We have such participation of Poles abroad, with different views, in these elections, which we have never had before, and it is probably a great success for the Polish state that those Poles who live outside the country care about this country very much – said Jasina .
The host of the program, Paweł Żuchowski, reminded that this year there was a record number of people willing to take part in the vote and asked whether it was realistic to count all the votes. – There will certainly be committees that will not be able to do this. This is a pure statistical thing, replied Yasina. – But let’s make it happen, because not all people may come. I am an optimist and everything always worked out somehow, he added.
The spokesman also appealed to voters not to “drag” the vote. – An appeal to the voting public. Try not to drag it out, use your right, but don’t make it such a long ritual. Really, the fact that the card will be issued in 20 seconds and not two minutes will not affect your law, and I think that you will find time for conversations with the commission’s employees on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, when you will summarize these elections. Let’s do everything we all have to do efficiently
– Let’s do it quickly, like that. Let us remember that the most important advantage of this obligation is that it exists, not its celebration – he concluded.
National Electoral Commission: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for voting abroad
Representatives of the National Electoral Commission – the head of the National Electoral Commission, Sylwester Marciniak, and the head of the National Electoral Commission, Magdalena Pietrzak, were asked about this statement at Friday’s conference. – Congratulations to the spokesman, what can I say. It would be good if it was based on some regulations, and in this case it should be the provisions of electoral law – Pietrzak replied.
At this point, Marciniak took over. – I would like to say that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for voting abroad and consuls should constantly monitor any delays – he said.
– There is also a possibility that they can increase the number of members of the district committee to a maximum of thirteen. They should act to fulfill this provision, he noted.
Marciniak: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for voting abroadTVN24
Pietrzak previously said that when it comes to circuits established abroad, “there is no circuit that would exceed four thousand” registered people. – There are only more numerous ones, over three thousand. However, on average it is two, two and a half thousand – she said.
Will commissions abroad count all the votes of the Polish community? The head of the National Security Bureau respondsTVN24
Mobilization, willingness and uncertainty. These are the pre-election realities among the Polish communityJoanna Stempień/Fakty o Świecie TVN24 BiS
Main photo source: Piotr Dobroniak/PAP