In the previous 2019 Polish parliamentary election, the ruling right-wing Law and Justice Party (PiS) had held onto its majority in the Sejm with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki forming a second government.

The United Right alliance placed first for the third straight election and won a plurality of seats but fell short of a Sejm majority.

[3] Right-wing parties, coalesced around the ruling national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) within the United Right (ZP) alliance, won the highest percentage of votes ever received since the complete return to democracy in 1991, maintaining their majority in the Sejm, but losing it in the Senate.

The opposition altogether did win a majority of seats in the senate, thanks to Lewica, the Polish Coalition (PSL) and independent candidates' gains.

The government's proposal to maintain the election in May but only through postal votes launched a strong polemic, with the opposition denouncing the unequal campaigning capacities of the incumbent president compared to other candidates within the context of the lockdown and quarantine measures.

[9] Despite the pandemic, both rounds of voting saw higher turnouts, with Duda facing the Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, a member of Civic Platform.

[13] PiS party circles repeatedly accused Tusk of making Poland dependent on energy imports from Russia during his term as head of government.

President Duda then softened the law by introducing an amendment to the Sejm on 2 June 2023, which deprived the proposed commission of the previously planned right to impose a ban on political activity.

[18] This date was consistent with requirements posed in Article 98 Section 2 of the Polish Constitution, whereby the election is to take place within the final 30 days of the current term of Parliament (ending 11 November 2023).

Most of the opposition (Civic Coalition, New Left and Third Way) signed a so-called senate pact, under which the parties agreed to enter one commonly accepted candidate in each district.

[24] Liberal Poland – Entrepreneurs' Strike has registered electoral lists in 17 constituencies, however on 13 October 2023 the committee has announced its intention to withdraw from the race.

[31][32] With the President setting the election date to be 15 October 2023, the following schedule was approved by the National Electoral Commission (PKW):[33] PiS remained the largest party in the Sejm, but with about 35% of the vote, lost its majority and was unable to form a government.

[34] According to the final vote count by the National Electoral Commission, Law and Justice won 194 seats, the Civic Coalition 157, the Third Way 65, The Left 26, and the Confederation Liberty and Independence 18.

[37] Turnout was 74.7% among women and 73.1% among men, with both giving similar levels of support for the government and two leading opposition parties, Civic Coalition and Third Way.

Turnout for ages 18–29 reached 68.8%, compared to 46.4% in the previous elections of 2019; among these voters, support for the ruling party fell to 14.9% from 26.3% four years earlier.

[46] On 24 October, leaders of the Civic Coalition, the Polish People's Party, Poland 2050, and The Left stated they are ready to form a government with Donald Tusk as their candidate for prime minister.

[54] His cabinet had been mockingly dubbed the "Two Weeks Government" by Polish media due to its low likelihood of passing the confidence vote.