In Argentina, Brazil, and eastern Canada, voting in the Polish presidential election begins as early as 12:00 PM Polish time on Saturday. On that day, Poles residing in other countries across North and South America will also be able to vote.
Across the Americas, voting will take place on Saturday between 7:00 AM and 9:00 PM local time. The first polling stations to open—at 12:00 PM Polish time—will be located in Buenos Aires (Argentina), the Brazilian cities of Brasília, São Paulo, and Curitiba, as well as in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
According to data from the National Electoral Commission, the number of registered voters in South America is relatively low. Just over 200 voters have registered in Argentina, 180 in Brazil, and the highest number—300 people—have registered in Mexico.
“We’re not expecting queues, but history has shown that anything can happen,”
said Bartosz Kniecicki, Deputy Consul of Poland in Curitiba.
He added that a new development for this election is the establishment of an additional polling station in São Paulo by his consulate.
“Election time in Brazil is always an opportunity for family gatherings, reunions with friends, and social meetings. Because of the country’s vast size, many of our compatriots use this occasion not only to vote but also to visit loved ones,”
Kniecicki emphasized.
In Buenos Aires, voters will have to contend with challenging weather conditions. A yellow thunderstorm alert has been in effect in the city and surrounding areas since Friday. Voting in the Argentine capital and in the three Brazilian polling stations will conclude at 2:00 AM Polish time, overnight from Saturday to Sunday.
At 1:00 PM Polish time, polling stations will begin accepting votes in Chile, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Venezuela, as well as in the eastern United States and additional parts of Canada, including Toronto.
Then, at 2:00 PM Polish time, voting will commence in Panama, Peru, and Colombia. An hour later, polls will open in two locations in Mexico—Mexico City and Cancun. The final polling stations to open on the American continent will be in the western parts of the U.S. and Canada.