Polish voters from across the city turned out to vote in the country’s national election.

Overseas citizens of Poland were able to cast their vote from a number of polling stations across the UK for yesterday’s parliamentary election.

Dozens were seen queuing outside the Polish Community Centre in Farm Road, Hove, to choose which party they wanted to form the next government.

Turnout in the election set new records, with the head of the country’s electoral commission reporting the highest percentage of voters heading to the polls since the fall of communism in 1989.

Exit polls suggest that the ruling national conservative Law and Justice Party won more votes than any other party, but will be unable to form a government.

According to polling agency Ipsos, Law and Justice is on track to win 198 seats in the Polish parliament, the Sejm - a sharp fall from its current slim majority it has held for the past eight years and short of the 231 seats needed for a majority.

Forecasts also predict that Law and Justice would still fall short of a majority even with support from the far-right Confederation party.

The exit poll suggests opposition party Civic Coalition, led by Donald Tusk, along with the centrist Third Way coalition, and the Left party will win 248 seats.

The electoral commission said it expects to report the final result early tomorrow.

Donald Tusk, the former President of the European Council and former Prime Minister of Poland from 2007 to 2014, has claimed victory in the election and told supporters: “It’s the end of the evil times, we made it.”

He said: “We won democracy, we won freedom, we won our free beloved Poland. This day will be remembered in history as a bright day, the rebirth of Poland.”

Polish citizens also cast votes in four referendum questions on the issues of privatising state-owned enterprises, an increase in the retirement age, admission of immigrants and a barrier on the border with Belarus.

However, due to poor turnout in the referendum, the result will not be binding.