Voters in Poland were set to start casting their ballots Sunday in an election expected to tip the balance of power in parliament in favour of the conservative opposition, dpa reported. After eight years of governments led by the centrist Civic Platform party, opinion polls show the nationalist Law and Justice party becoming the strongest force in parliament. It is unclear how many parties - anywhere from three to seven - will gain mandates in the 360-seat Sejm, the lower house of parliament. Voters will also decide about the 100 seats in the Senate, the upper chamber. No matter which of the two main parties comes in first, Poland will be led by a woman. Current prime minister, Ewa Kopacz, leads Civic Platform, while Beata Szydlo is Law and Justice's candidate. Some 30 million Poles are eligible to vote in the election. Polls are open between 7 am and 9 pm (0600-2000 GMT).
