On 9 June, Poles will face a chance to elect 53 MEPs representing 13 constituencies. The electoral strategy for the European Parliament (PE) is complicated and differs from the 1 utilized in national elections, specified as elections to the Sejm.
Variable number of mandates and exceptional allocation system
In the EP elections, unlike in the Sejm elections, there are no fixed number of mandates assigned to each district. This number shall be determined only after the end of the vote, based on attendance and the number of votes cast in each district.
The voting counting strategy combines 2 methods: D’Hondt at national level and Hare-Nieyer, known as the largest remainder method, at territory level. Firstly, votes at national level are counted to find which committees have exceeded the required 5% threshold of support, which is simply a condition for obtaining mandates. Subsequently, the number of mandates of each committee shall be distributed between their lists in each district, on the basis of individual results of candidates.
Turnout and allocation of mandates
The number of mandates assigned to districts is determined by key factors, specified as attendance and territory size, which can lead to unpredictability of results.
The key difference is that, after summing up the results of all candidates across the country, we share mandates between parties in 1 large constituency, which is the full of Poland.
Electoral strategies and results
Electoral dynamics in larger districts is different than in smaller districts. In large districts, even candidates from lower places on the lists have a chance to get a mandate, while in smaller districts it is essential to get much higher support. In tiny districts, in order to get a ticket from a further place, you gotta jump the alleged one. If there is simply a very media and local candidate on one, then the chance of being overtaken by a candidate from a further location is purely theoretical.
In the last election to the EP in 2019, Poland selected 52 MEPs. The distribution of seats across the districts varied, showing the dynamics of political division in the country.
Impact on local communities
The EP elections are crucial not only at national and local level, influencing regional representation in the wider European context. According to analyses, the volatility in the number of mandates and organization strategies can importantly influence the results, which makes these elections highly crucial for the future of Poland in the European Union.
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