Eight candidates are listed for the city’s top office. However, Jan Hoffman has withdrawn, so a ballot marked for him will be invalid. Voters must place an X beside their chosen candidate’s name for the ballot to count.
Election silence remains in force until polling stations close. Campaigning, publishing polls and other activity that could influence voters are prohibited, with substantial financial penalties for violations.
The early election follows a May referendum in which Krakow residents voted to remove Mayor Aleksander Miszalski from office. Stanisław Kracik, formerly Miszalski’s deputy, is managing the city until a new mayor is elected.
The city election commission is expected to announce the first results before they are published on the website of Poland’s National Electoral Commission. If no candidate wins more than half of the votes, a runoff between the top two candidates will take place on 11 October.
RMF FM and Radio RMF24 are also holding a special election-night broadcast from the main candidates’ campaign offices. Local politicians, experts, activists, and representatives of business and culture will discuss the first-round results. The programme will also be streamed on RMF24’s YouTube channel and is being produced with Polsat News.