Łukasz Gibała has won the second round of the early Kraków mayoral election, according to exit polls by OGB and Ipsos published on the evening of Sunday, 11 October. This is an exit poll result; official data will be released by the National Electoral Commission (PKW).
What the Polls Show
According to the exit poll by the All-Poland Research Group (OGB) for Polsat News and Newsmax Polska, Gibała received 64.1% of the vote, while Monika Piątkowska received 35.9%. The Ipsos poll gives him 61% and his rival 39%. Both pollsters therefore point to the same winner, although they differ by more than 3 percentage points on the candidate’s result from the Kraków for Residents committee. Piątkowska was backed by Civic Coalition (KO) and the Polish People’s Party (PSL).
An exit poll is a survey of voters leaving polling stations and is subject to statistical error. Official results, based on commission protocols, will be announced by the PKW.
What Gibała Said
The apparent winner spoke shortly after the polls were announced. As Onet, Interia and WP report, he said that “more and more signs point to” 11 October 2026 being remembered as the day when the residents of Kraków regained their city after 24 years. According to natemat.pl, he also thanked those who voted for Piątkowska.
Polsat News, analysing the OGB and Ipsos data, reports that the youngest voters were the most likely to vote for Gibała.
Road to the Runoff
The election is early because residents voted to recall Mayor Aleksander Miszalski in a referendum. According to natemat.pl, 97.9% of voters backed the recall, but the City Council was not recalled because the required turnout was not reached. Until a new mayor was elected, the city was run by Stanisław Kracik.
In the first round, as Interia reports citing the PKW, Gibała won 36.38% of the vote and Piątkowska 29.91%. According to natemat.pl, the new mayor will take office for about two and a half years.
What It Means
If the PKW results confirm the polls, Kraków will return after several months under an appointed administrator to leadership chosen by voters. The timing of the official results and the swearing-in depends on the PKW and the electoral calendar; at the time of publication, no final data on turnout or vote totals had been given.
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