Twig `Variable does not exist` error despite it not being printed - symfony

Question

I'm trying to handle non existing variables in my controller which if the database is empty will return a view without any variables:
if(!$votes->findOneById(1) || !$images->findOneById(1)){
return $this->render('admin/stats_and_images.html.twig');
}
return $this->render('admin/stats_and_images.html.twig', [
'images' => $images->countVotesForAllImages(),
'image_podium' => $images->getTopNImages(3),
'form' => $form->createView(),
'votesToday' => $votes->votesToday(),
'votesMonth' => $votes->votesMonth(),
'votesTotal' => $votes->votesTotal()
]);
And in my view I'm trying to handle the lack of variables like so:
{% if (votesTotal[0][1] is defined) and (votesToday[0][1] is defined) and (votesMonth[0][1] is defined) %}
<div class="col-md-6">
<h4 class="sub-section--header">Liczba Oddanych Głosów:</h4>
<hr>
<p>
<div class="col-sm-6">
Dzisiaj:
<span class="text-info large-num">{{ votesToday[0][1] }}</span>
</div>
<div class="col-sm-6">
Ten miesiąc:
<span class="text-info large-num">{{ votesMonth[0][1] }}</span>
</div>
</p>
<p>
<strong>Głosów ogółem: </strong><span class="text-info large-num">{{ votesTotal[0][1] }}</span>
</p>
</div>
<div class="col-md-6">
<h4 class="sub-section--header">Wygrywające zdjęcia:</h4>
<p class="text-muted">Ten miesiąc</p>
<hr>
<div class="row text-center">
<div class="col-md-4">
<a
href="{{ asset("uploads/"~image_podium[0][0].fileName) }}"
target="blank">
<img
src="{{ asset("uploads/"~image_podium[0][0].fileName) | imagine_filter('my_thumb') }}" alt="{{image_podium[0][0].title}}"
class="site-thumbnail"
title="{{image_podium[0][0].title}} - {{image_podium[0][0].author}}">
</a>
<p><strong>Głosów: {{image_podium[0]['votes']}}</strong></p>
</div>
<div class="col-md-4">
<a
href="{{ asset("uploads/"~image_podium[1][0].fileName) }}"
target="blank">
<img
src="{{ asset("uploads/"~image_podium[1][0].fileName) | imagine_filter('my_thumb') }}" alt="{{image_podium[1][0].title}}"
class="site-thumbnail"
title="{{image_podium[1][0].title}} - {{image_podium[1][0].author}}">
</a>
<p>Głosów: {{image_podium[1]['votes']}}</p>
</div>
<div class="col-md-4">
<a
href="{{ asset("uploads/"~image_podium[2][0].fileName) }}"
target="blank">
<img
src="{{ asset("uploads/"~image_podium[2][0].fileName) | imagine_filter('my_thumb') }}" alt="{{image_podium[2][0].title}}"
class="site-thumbnail"
title="{{image_podium[2][0].title}} - {{image_podium[2][0].author}}">
</a>
<p>Głosów: {{image_podium[2]['votes']}}</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
{% else %}
<h2 class="text-danger text-center">
No votes at the moment :)
</h2>
{% endif %}
But still despite the strict requirement of all three fields to be defined I'm getting this:
Variable "votesToday" does not exist.
And pointing to the <span class="text-info large-num">{{ votesToday[0][1] }}</span> portion of the view.
Why would this be happening? How can it be avoided?

Answer 1

send $votes to twig and check it with {{ dump(votes) }}
If it is a doctrine entity, check your getter. Perhaps is $votes->getVotesToday()