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No candidate secured more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round of Poland's presidential election on Sunday, exit polls showed, leading to a runoff vote scheduled for June 1. Rafal Trzaskowski, the mayor of Warsaw and candidate from the ruling Civic Coalition (KO), led the field with 30.8 percent of the vote, followed closely by Karol Nawrocki, an independent candidate backed by the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, who received 29.1 percent. Slawomir Mentzen of the Confederation party came in third with 15.4 percent support. Sunday's vote featured 13 candidates vying to succeed incumbent President Andrzej Duda, whose second term will end on June 8. More than 30,000 polling stations opened nationwide at 7:00 local time, with nearly 29 million registered voters eligible to cast ballots and help determine the country's political direction for the next five years. "I don't know if I can say exactly who I voted for, but I believe that it's good for the government and the president to work together, to work hand in hand, not to create obstacles, one for the other," Monica, a voter in Warsaw, told CCTV. "I think in the current political and security situation, and in general in Poland's interest, it is to have good, smooth politics and creative and forward-looking people at the helm," she said. Under Polish law, a presidential candidate must be a Polish citizen at least 35 years old and garner the support of no less than 100,000 registered voters through signatures in order to officially run for office. A candidate who wins more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round will be elected president outright. If no one crosses that threshold, the top two contenders will proceed to a runoff 14 days later. The Polish president is elected through a direct popular vote for a five-year term and may serve a maximum of two terms. The video shows: Warsaw, Poland - May 18, 2025 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland) 1. Signposts at polling station 2. Various of voters registering personal information, casting ballots 3. SOUNDBITE (English) Monica (full name not given): "I don't know if I can say exactly who I voted for, but I believe that it's good for the government and the president to work together, to work hand in hand, not to create obstacles, one for the other. I think in the current political and security situation, and in general in Poland's interest, it is to have good, smooth politics and creative and forward-looking people at the helm." 4. …
