Poland holds presidential election delayed by pandemic

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poles have begun voting in a presidential election that had been scheduled for May but was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. The vote is coming amid deep political and cultural divisions in this European Union nation of 38 million. President Andrzej Duda, a 48-year-old conservative backed by the ruling party, is running against 10 other candidates as he seeks a second 5-year term. Most recent polls showed that no single candidate was likely to reach the 50% required on Sunday to avoid a runoff. In that case, the two top candidates would face each other on July 12. Duda’s strongest challenge is from Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, also 48, who is backed by the centrist Civic Platform party.