Poland 2050 party’s internal elections invalidated after 26,000 entries for only 700 eligible voters, sparking claims of cyber attack.
26,000 Entries for 700 Eligible Voters
On Tuesday, the National Electoral Commission of Poland 2050 invalidated the second round of elections for party chairman. The party’s management claims there was a hacker attack. The matter was reported to the prosecutor’s office and the Internal Security Agency. Only about 700 people were entitled to vote, yet over 26,000 entries were recorded on the site during the voting, causing the system to crash.
Experts Skeptical of Cyber Attack Claims
According to cybersecurity experts, nothing indicates there was any interference from outside. Piotr Konieczny, a computer security expert, suggests the large number of entries was likely due to the party’s incorrect configuration of voting mechanisms and possibly MPs revealing the survey address on social media.
Published Link Led to “Viral” Voting
Michał Sajdak, founder of Sekurak.pl, points out that some party members apologized for publishing the voting link on social media. The short link was fully visible in posts, allowing anyone who saw it to access the voting system. Sajdak also identified configuration errors, including the ability to vote for multiple people and the lack of an access password.
Experts Blame Poor Organization, Not External Threats
Maciej Broniarz, an ICT security expert, states there was no actual hacking, attempt to manipulate results, or real attack. Involving the ABW in a political party’s internal elections is described as “burning resources.” Mirosław Maj, president of the Safe Cyberspace foundation, agrees that this was an unprepared voting process and the cyber attack narrative is an attempt to escape responsibility for poor planning.