Editing Elections in Poland (section)

==History==
{{main|Sejm of the Republic of Poland#Sejm of the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|Offices of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth|List of Polish kings|Golden Freedom}}

The first Polish Sejm was called in 1182. Since the Sejm of 1493, called by king [[John I Olbracht]] in 1493, Sejms were to be held every 2 years. There were also special Sejms when needed, for example the [[Royal elections in Poland#Procedure|coronation sejm]]s.<ref name="opis">{{cite web |url=http://opis.sejm.gov.pl/en/historiasejmu.php |title=Poznaj Sejm |trans-title=Learn about Polish Parliament |publisher=Sejm Rzeczpospolitej Polskiej |access-date=16 June 2013 |author=Kancelaria |archive-date=15 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015145404/http://opis.sejm.gov.pl/en/historiasejmu.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The most famous Sejms included the [[Sejm Niemy]] or the Silent Sejm of 1717 which marked the beginning of Russian control over Polish internal affairs; the subsequent [[Repnin Sejm]] or the Sejm of 1767/1768, whose terms were dictated by the Russian ambassador [[Repnin]]; the [[Great Sejm]] – or the Four-Years Sejm of 1798–1792, which voted for the [[May Constitution of Poland]]; and the [[Grodno Sejm]] – last Sejm of the First Republic.

Since the death of [[Sigismund II Augustus]], last of the [[Jagiellonian dynasty]], and following a brief period of [[interregnum]], the entire [[nobility]] ([[szlachta]]) of the Commonwealth (10% of the population) could take part in the [[Elective monarchy|elections of the monarchs]]. Last elected king was [[Stanisław August Poniatowski]] in 1764. He [[abdicated]] in 1795 after the [[partitions of Poland]] ended the existence of sovereign state of Poland for 123 years.

It is disputed how free were elections held after 1926; in particular, the 1930 elections are often considered to have been non-free [[:pl:Wybory brzeskie]]. Polish presidents were elected by the Sejm and Senate ([[Zgromadzenie Narodowe]]), not in a popular vote. Before 1922, the Polish [[Chief of State]] was called ''[[Naczelnik Państwa]]''.
[[File:Gmach Sejmu od strony ulicy Piotra Maszyńskiego.jpg|thumb|[[Sejm and Senate Complex of Poland]]]]
Only the 1947 and 1989 elections can be considered as partially free. All others were controlled during that period. There were no direct presidential elections until 1990, with President [[Bolesław Bierut]]'s nomination in 1947 by the Sejm and the abolition of the office by the 1952 constitution.

===Polish elections 1573 to 1985===
====[[Royal elections in Poland|Polish election, Royal elections]]====
*1st [[1573 Polish–Lithuanian royal election]]
*2nd [[1576 Polish–Lithuanian royal election]]
*3rd [[1587 Polish–Lithuanian royal election]]
*4th [[1632 Polish–Lithuanian royal election]]
*5th [[1648 Polish–Lithuanian royal election]]
*6th [[1669 Polish–Lithuanian royal election]]
*7th [[1674 Polish–Lithuanian royal election]]
*8th [[1697 Polish–Lithuanian royal election]]
*9th [[1704 Polish–Lithuanian royal election]]
*10th [[1733 Polish–Lithuanian royal election]]
*11th [[1764 Polish–Lithuanian royal election]]

====[[President of Poland|Presidential elections]]====
*1st [[Polish presidential election, 9 December 1922|Polish election, 1922 (9 Dec)]]
*2nd [[Polish presidential election, 1922 (special)|Polish election, 1922 (20 Dec)]]
*3rd [[May 1926 Polish presidential election|Polish election, 1926 (May)]]
*4th [[June 1926 Polish presidential election|Polish election, 1926 (Jun)]]
*5th [[1933 Polish presidential election|Polish election, 1933]]
*6th [[1947 Polish presidential election|Polish election, 1947]]

====[[Sejm|Legislative elections]]====
*1st [[1919 Polish legislative election|Polish election, 1919]]
*2nd [[1922 Polish legislative election|Polish election, 1922]]
*3rd [[1928 Polish legislative election|Polish election, 1928]]
*4th [[1930 Polish legislative election|Polish election, 1930]]
*5th [[1935 Polish legislative election|Polish election, 1935]]
*6th [[1938 Polish legislative election|Polish election, 1938]]
*7th [[1947 Polish legislative election|Polish election, 1947]]
*8th [[1952 Polish legislative election|Polish election, 1952]]
*9th [[1957 Polish legislative election|Polish election, 1957]]
*10th [[1961 Polish legislative election|Polish election, 1961]]
*11th [[1965 Polish legislative election|Polish election, 1965]]
*12th [[1969 Polish legislative election|Polish election, 1969]]
*13th [[1972 Polish legislative election|Polish election, 1972]]
*14th [[1976 Polish legislative election|Polish election, 1976]]
*15th [[1980 Polish legislative election|Polish election, 1980]]
*16th [[1985 Polish legislative election|Polish election, 1985]]