Voting opens for Polish elections as PiS hopes to win third term

Populist party must see off opposition led by former PM and European Council president Donald Tusk

Voting is under way in Poland’s parliamentary election, as the populist Law and Justice (PiS) government tries to win a third term in office and see off a challenge from an opposition led by former prime minister and European Council president Donald Tusk.

The polls opened at 7am local time on Sunday morning, and voting will continue until 9pm CET, when exit polls will be published that will give a first hint of the results. Polling in the run-up to the vote suggested that the race is too close to call, and the ability for either PiS or Tusk’s Civic Coalition to form a government is likely to come down to the results of other, smaller parties.