diff --git a/src/features/housekeeping/domains/content/services/mutation-runtime-database.test.ts b/src/features/housekeeping/domains/content/services/mutation-runtime-database.test.ts
index de00757f..83b9ce8f 100644
--- a/src/features/housekeeping/domains/content/services/mutation-runtime-database.test.ts
+++ b/src/features/housekeeping/domains/content/services/mutation-runtime-database.test.ts
@@ -15,9 +15,15 @@ const sqlMocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
 }));
 
 const database = vi.hoisted(() => {
+	type SelectedResult =
+		| Record<string, unknown>
+		| readonly Record<string, unknown>[];
 	let selected: Record<string, unknown> = { id: 7, title: "Existing" };
-	let selectedQueue: Record<string, unknown>[] = [];
+	let selectedQueue: SelectedResult[] = [];
 	let selectedTable: string | undefined;
+	let selectedCondition:
+		| { operator: string; column: unknown; value: unknown }
+		| undefined;
 	let lockedTables: Array<readonly [string | undefined, string]> = [];
 	let mutationSteps: string[] = [];
 	const insertedValues = vi.fn(async (_values: Record<string, unknown>) => [
@@ -29,16 +35,33 @@ const database = vi.hoisted(() => {
 		values,
 	}));
 	const update = vi.fn(() => ({ set }));
-	const nextSelected = () => [selectedQueue.shift() ?? selected];
+	const nextSelected = () => {
+		const result = selectedQueue.shift() ?? selected;
+		return Array.isArray(result) ? [...result] : [result];
+	};
 	const limit = vi.fn(async () => nextSelected());
 	const lock = vi.fn(async (strength: string) => {
 		lockedTables.push([selectedTable, strength]);
-		mutationSteps.push(`lock:${selectedTable ?? "unknown"}`);
+		mutationSteps.push(
+			`lock:${selectedTable ?? "unknown"}:${selectedCondition?.operator ?? "none"}:${String(selectedCondition?.column ?? "none")}:${String(selectedCondition?.value ?? "none")}`,
+		);
 		return nextSelected();
 	});
-	const where = vi.fn(() => ({ for: lock, limit }));
+	const orderBy = vi.fn(async (column: unknown) => {
+		mutationSteps.push(
+			`read:${selectedTable ?? "unknown"}:${selectedCondition?.operator ?? "none"}:${String(selectedCondition?.column ?? "none")}:orderBy:${String(column)}`,
+		);
+		return nextSelected();
+	});
+	const where = vi.fn(
+		(condition: { operator: string; column: unknown; value: unknown }) => {
+			selectedCondition = condition;
+			return { for: lock, limit, orderBy };
+		},
+	);
 	const from = vi.fn((table: unknown) => {
 		selectedTable = (table as { tableName?: string }).tableName;
+		selectedCondition = undefined;
 		return { where };
 	});
 	const select = vi.fn(() => ({ from }));
@@ -75,10 +98,11 @@ const database = vi.hoisted(() => {
 			selected = value;
 			selectedQueue = [];
 			selectedTable = undefined;
+			selectedCondition = undefined;
 			lockedTables = [];
 			mutationSteps = [];
 		},
-		queueSelected(...values: Record<string, unknown>[]) {
+		queueSelected(...values: SelectedResult[]) {
 			selectedQueue = [...values];
 		},
 	};
@@ -86,8 +110,16 @@ const database = vi.hoisted(() => {
 
 vi.mock("drizzle-orm", () => ({
 	count: vi.fn(() => "count"),
-	eq: vi.fn(),
-	inArray: vi.fn(),
+	eq: vi.fn((column: unknown, value: unknown) => ({
+		operator: "eq",
+		column,
+		value,
+	})),
+	inArray: vi.fn((column: unknown, value: unknown) => ({
+		operator: "inArray",
+		column,
+		value,
+	})),
 	sql: Object.assign(sqlMocks.tagged, {
 		join: sqlMocks.join,
 		raw: sqlMocks.raw,
@@ -173,17 +205,22 @@ describe("Content database mutation runtime partial updates", () => {
 		]);
 	});
 
-	it("deletes poll votes, questions, and the poll in child-first order", async () => {
-		database.selected({
-			id: 7,
-			title: "Existing",
-			description: null,
-			status: "draft",
-			showResults: 1,
-			multipleChoice: 0,
-			startsAt: null,
-			endsAt: null,
-		});
+	it("locks poll questions by ascending primary key before child-first deletion", async () => {
+		database.queueSelected(
+			{
+				id: 7,
+				title: "Existing",
+				description: null,
+				status: "draft",
+				showResults: 1,
+				multipleChoice: 0,
+				startsAt: null,
+				endsAt: null,
+			},
+			[{ id: 4 }, { id: 9 }],
+			{ id: 4 },
+			{ id: 9 },
+		);
 
 		await executeContentDatabaseMutation(
 			"poll.change",
@@ -200,10 +237,13 @@ describe("Content database mutation runtime partial updates", () => {
 		expect(database.lockedTables()).toEqual([
 			["WebsitePoll", "update"],
 			["WebsitePollQuestion", "update"],
+			["WebsitePollQuestion", "update"],
 		]);
 		expect(database.mutationSteps()).toEqual([
-			"lock:WebsitePoll",
-			"lock:WebsitePollQuestion",
+			"lock:WebsitePoll:eq:id:7",
+			"read:WebsitePollQuestion:eq:pollId:orderBy:id",
+			"lock:WebsitePollQuestion:eq:id:4",
+			"lock:WebsitePollQuestion:eq:id:9",
 			"delete:WebsitePollVote",
 			"delete:WebsitePollQuestion",
 			"delete:WebsitePoll",
@@ -241,7 +281,7 @@ describe("Content database mutation runtime partial updates", () => {
 			["WebsitePollQuestion", "update"],
 		]);
 		expect(database.mutationSteps()).toEqual([
-			"lock:WebsitePollQuestion",
+			"lock:WebsitePollQuestion:eq:id:7",
 			"delete:WebsitePollVote",
 			"delete:WebsitePollQuestion",
 		]);
diff --git a/src/features/housekeeping/domains/content/services/mutation-runtime-database.ts b/src/features/housekeeping/domains/content/services/mutation-runtime-database.ts
index cfb6a03b..84bb5f47 100644
--- a/src/features/housekeeping/domains/content/services/mutation-runtime-database.ts
+++ b/src/features/housekeeping/domains/content/services/mutation-runtime-database.ts
@@ -635,11 +635,18 @@ async function pollChange(
 		.for("update");
 	if (!existing) throw notFound();
 	if (action === "delete") {
-		await connection
+		const questionIds = await connection
 			.select({ id: WebsitePollQuestion.id })
 			.from(WebsitePollQuestion)
 			.where(eq(WebsitePollQuestion.pollId, id))
-			.for("update");
+			.orderBy(WebsitePollQuestion.id);
+		for (const question of questionIds) {
+			await connection
+				.select({ id: WebsitePollQuestion.id })
+				.from(WebsitePollQuestion)
+				.where(eq(WebsitePollQuestion.id, question.id))
+				.for("update");
+		}
 		await connection
 			.delete(WebsitePollVote)
 			.where(