Changes in Polish electoral administration after the amendment to the Electoral Code in 2023

Abstract

The aim of the article is to analyze the changes that have been made in the Polish electoral administration pursuant to the Act of 26 January 2023 amending the Act – Electoral Code. The subject of considerations are both changes in the position of permanent electoral bodies and ad hoc bodies. In the first case, it is interesting that although the legislator did not directly change the regulations defining their status, it modified other provisions and solutions of the Code, which may have a direct impact on the position of these bodies in future electoral processes. In the case of non-permanent bodies, changes are prima facie noticeable; some of them are of a technical and organizational nature, others, on the contrary, significantly modify the essence of the Polish electoral administration model. The considerations will also attempt to answer the question of how such numerous changes relating to electoral bodies may affect the electoral process, in particular its honesty and reliability. The work uses the dogmatic-legal method and the analysis of the achievements of the doctrine of constitutional and electoral law.