Local elections were held in Poland on 7 April 2024 to elect members for all 16 regional assemblies (sejmik wojewódzki), 314 county (powiat) councils, and 2477 municipal (gmina) councils, heads (wójt) of municipalities and mayors of cities, as well as 18 district councils of Warsaw. While Law and Justice remained the strongest party, the Civic Coalition and its partners saw some improvement, providing them with majorities in up to 11 of the 16 regional assemblies. The second round to elect heads of municipalities, mayors and city presidents was held on 21 April in places where no candidate obtained more than 50% of votes.

Background 2018 Polish local elections

In the previous local elections held in autumn 2018, Law and Justice (PiS), Poland's ruling party at the time, won the most votes in the regional assembly elections, allowing it to take power in eight of the 16 voivodeships, mainly in eastern and southern Poland. The runner-up, the centrist-liberal Civic Coalition (KO), received 27% of the vote, which allowed it to maintain control over 8 voivodeships, together with its coalition partners: the agrarian Polish People's Party (PSL), the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) and, in the Opole Voivodeship, the German Minority. Mayoral elections in large cities were won by KO candidates or opposition-backed independents, notably in Warsaw, where Rafał Trzaskowski defeated PiS candidate Patryk Jaki in the first round, winning 57% of the vote. Both PiS and the opposition claimed victory in the elections. As of March 2024, PiS controls 6 regional assemblies, while KO with its coalition partners holds 10.

Extension of the terms of office of local authorities The current legislation in Poland, enacted in 2018, stipulates that the term of office of local authorities is five years from the date of election. As the previous election was held in the autumn of 2018, the next election would have to be held in the autumn of 2023, and would coincide with the election of the parliament, whose term of office was expiring in November of that year.

In September 2022, a new legislation was passed by the parliament, exceptionally extending the terms of office of local authorities until 30 April 2024. The lawmakers indicated that the extension of the term of office was necessary to avoid the organisational problems associated with holding local and parliamentary elections at approximately the same time. The regulation was criticized by the , a voluntary association of regional governments, the Union of Polish Cities, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, the National Council of Legal Advisers, as well as by experts of the Senate Legislation Bureau. Critics have pointed out, among other things, that the act may violate fundamental constitutional principles. They also questioned the legitimacy of concerns about the simultaneous organisation of local and parliamentary elections, and pointed out that the act does not address these problems systemically, only incidentally.

The act was signed into law by President Andrzej Duda on 22 November 2022.

2023 Polish parliamentary election

The parliamentary election held on 15 October 2023 saw the record turnout of over 74%. The ruling Law and Justice party received the highest number of votes, but lost its ability to form a majority government. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki subsequently failed to form a coalition, and on 13 December a new government was formed under Donald Tusk, made up of the hitherto opposition parties: Civic Coalition, Poland 2050, Polish People's Party and the New Left.

Electoral system The members of the voivodeship sejmiks, county councils, municipal councils for municipalities with more than 20,000 inhabitants, and Warsaw district councils are elected proportionally using the D'Hondt method. Each voivodeship, county, municipality, and district is divided into multiple constituencies. Each voivodeship sejmik constituency elects between 5 and 15 councilors, each county council constituency elects between 3 and 10 councilors, and each municipal council and Warsaw district constituency elects between 5 and 8 councilors. Parties or coalitions are required to receive 5% of valid votes throughout the entire voivodeship, county, municipality or district in order to be eligible to earn seats.

Municipalities with 20,000 inhabitants or fewer are divided into 15 constituencies, each of which elects 1 councilor using first-past-the-post.

Heads of municipalities, mayors, and city presidents are directly elected in each municipality using the two-round system.

Lists National committees registered in all voivodeships List Ideology Political position Leader(s) 2018 result in Sejmiks Candidates Votes (%) Seats Sejmiks Powiats Gminas Mayors Warsaw districts 1 PiS Law and Justice National conservatismRight-wing populism Right-wing Jarosław Kaczyński 34.1% 720 8195 11746 446 532 2 KiBS Confederation and Nonpartisan Localists Polish nationalismEconomic liberalism Far-right Sławomir MentzenKrzysztof Bosak 2.9% 706 499 914 24 0 3 TD Third Way Christian democracyPro-Europeanism Centre-right Władysław Kosiniak-KamyszSzymon Hołownia 12.1% 719 5939 8024 328 280 4 L The Left Social democracyProgressivism Centre-left Włodzimierz CzarzastyRobert BiedrońMagdalena BiejatAdrian Zandberg 8.2% 698 844 1238 30 326 5 KO Civic Coalition Conservative liberalismPro-Europeanism Big tent Donald Tusk 28.1% 720 5214 6293 173 568 6 BS Bezpartyjni Samorządowcy RegionalismLocalism Centre-left Robert Raczyński 5.3% 485 242 451 21 23

National committees registered in more than one voivodeship List Ideology Political position Leader(s) # of voivodeships Candidates Sejmiks Powiats Gminas Mayors PL!SP Liberal Poland – Entrepreneurs' Strike LibertarianismPopulism Centre-right Paweł Tanajno 15 287 0 13 1 OKS Local Government Coalition OK Self-Government RegionalismLocalism Centre-left 11 264 265 194 6 NK Normal Country Anti-establishmentRight-wing populism Right-wing Wiesław Lewicki 10 202 0 23 1 RNP Repair Poland Movement National democracyEconomic nationalism Fiscal: Left-wingSocial: Right-wing Romuald Starosielec 7 125 15 114 3 ROP Defence of Poland Movement Christian rightPolish nationalism Far-right Janusz Niemer 2 82 22 69 2

National and local committees registered in a single voivodeship List Ideology Political position Leader(s) 2018 result in Sejmiks Voivodeship Candidates Votes (%) Seats Sejmiks Powiats Gminas Mayors AN National Action Polish nationalismChristian right Far-right Jan Waliszewski 0.0% Łódź 29 0 49 1 BP Azure Poland LocalismChristian right Right-wing Małgorzata Belska N/A Lesser Poland 8 0 36 1 DG Good of the Gmina Localism Centre Bartosz Nowicki N/A West Pomeranian 5 5 15 1 GRM Geothermal Rawa Mazowiecka Pro-geothermal energyGreen politics Centre-left Monika Kobierska-Bednarek N/A Łódź 5 4 11 0 IOPT Civic Initiative of Tarnogórski Powiat LocalismEnvironmentalism Centre Mariusz Długajczyk 0.1% Silesian 20 37 34 1 OdO Citizens for Citizens LocalismPro-farmers' protests Right-wing Robert Więcko N/A Podlaskie 37 0 0 0 RAŚ Silesian Autonomy Movement Silesian regionalismAutonomism Centre-left Jerzy Gorzelik 0.4% Silesian 57 0 10 1 RSŁK Self-Government Movement of Łukasz Konarski Localism Centre Łukasz Konarski N/A Silesian 9 30 27 1 S Self-Defence Agrarian socialismCatholic socialism Left-wing to far-left Jan Perkowski N/A Silesian 6 0 58 2 SRP Self-Defence RP Agrarian socialismCatholic socialism Left-wing to far-left Krzysztof Prokopczyk N/A Masovian 16 0 0 0 SLD Democratic Left Association Social democracy Centre-left to left-wing Jerzy Teichert N/A Lubusz 40 0 35 0 OiS Association Citizens and Justice Economic liberalismEnvironmentalism Centre Wojciech Papis N/A Masovian 32 0 6 0 SP Association "Self-Governing Pomerania" RegionalismChristian right Right-wing Dariusz Męczykowski N/A Pomeranian 39 0 0 0 ŚS Silesian Localists Minority interestsSocial market economy Centre-left Ryszard Galla 0.3% Opole 38 148 294 15 ŚR Silesians Together LocalismSilesian autonomism Centre-left Leon Swaczyna 0.4% Silesian 38 0 0 0 ZS Slavic Union AgrarianismEconomic nationalism Left-wing Włodzimierz Rynkowski 0.0% Masovian 53 0 7 0

Other national committees List Ideology Political position Leader(s) 2018 result in Sejmiks Candidates Votes (%) Seats Sejmiks Powiats Gminas Mayors B Nonpartisans Libertarian conservatismConservative liberalism Right-wing to far-right Piotr Bakun N/A 0 0 69 1 BiN Nonpartisans and Independents Localism Centre-left Kamil Suchański N/A 0 0 4 0 KP Pro-Polish Confederation Polish nationalismEconomic liberalism Far-right Ziemowit Przebitkowski N/A 0 0 27 0 PSLTD Agreement Serves People – Third Way AgrarianismChristian democracy Centre-right Krzysztof Filiński N/A 0 191 225 5 PRP Right Wing of the Republic National conservatismSocial conservatism Right-wing Krzysztof Kawęcki N/A 0 0 13 1 SNG Safe Next Generation – Safe Civic Generation Grassroots democracyLiberalism Centre-left Laura Starowiejska N/A 0 0 21 1 ONRP Association Renewal of the Republic of Poland Conservatism Centre-right Marcin Ociepa N/A 0 39 34 1 SL"O" People's Party "Patrimony" RP AgrarianismConservatism Right-wing Wieńczysław Nowacki N/A 0 0 7 0 SP Sovereign Poland Polish nationalismChristian right Right-wing to far-right Zbigniew Ziobro N/A 0 0 27 1 WiS Free and Solidary SolidarismConservatism Right-wing Jan Miller 0.8% 0 3 11 0 ZP Healthy Poland ConspiracismVaccine hesitancy Far-right Jan Waliszewski N/A 0 0 5 0

Electoral committees A total of 11,202 committees were registered for the elections. 41 committees applied for nationwide registration by the National Electoral Commission, of which 35 have been registered: 21 political parties, nine organizations, three coalitions and two voters committees. Four committees were rejected and one committee retracted its registration.

Electoral committeesTypeCommitteeStatusSejmiksPowiat councilsGmina councilsMayorsWarsaw district councils1CoalitionCivic Coalition2PartyNonpartisan Local Government Activists3PartyNormal Country4OrganizationAssociation Citizens and Justice5PartySlavic Union6PartyRepair Poland Movement7OrganizationNational Polish Federation "Nonpartisans and Local Government Activists"8PartySelf-Defence9OrganizationTrade Union of Polish Agriculture Free and Solidary10OrganizationLocal Government Coalition OK Self-Government11PartyPeople's Party "Patrimony" RP12PartyLaw and Justice13PartySilesians Together14CoalitionThe Left15PartyPolExit16OrganizationSafe Next Generation – Safe Civic Generation17OrganizationAssociation "Nonpartisan Local Government Activists"18VotersConfederation and Nonpartisan Local Government Activists19VotersLocal Government Coalition OK Self-Government20PartyRight Wing of the Republic21PartyLiberal Poland – Entrepreneurs' Strike22PartySovereign Poland23PartyFree and Solidary24OrganizationAssociation Nonpartisan and Independent25CoalitionThird Way PSL-PL2050 of Szymon Hołownia26VotersRenewal of the Republic of Poland27OrganizationDemocratic Left Association28PartyMovement of Unity of Poles29PartyLabour Faction30PartySelf-Defence RP31VotersAgreement Serves People – Third Way32PartyPro-Polish Confederation33PartyNormal Poland34PartyFree Europe35PartyNonpartisans36OrganizationHealthy Poland37VotersIt's High Time38PartyPeople's Party "Patrimony" RP39OrganizationRenewal of the Republic of Poland40PartyPolska 205041VotersPublic Control

Campaigning

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that a victory for the ruling Civic Coalition is necessary to prevent a return to nationalist rule by the Law and Justice Party, and portrayed its electoral campaign as a defense of "freedom, human rights, women's rights, democracy, free economy, self-government". Law and Justice denied such accusations throughout the campaign, with its leader Jarosław Kaczyński accusing the government of lying and calling the election an opportunity to present it with a "yellow card".

Opinion polls

Results