The referendum, scheduled to run alongside parliamentary elections, has become a challenge for anti-government media outlets. Gazeta Wyborcza has raised questions about the possibility of boycotting participation in the referendum.
Gazeta Wyborcza reiterates guidance from legal authorities on how a voter can refuse to accept a ballot in the referendum.
Polish ruling party representatives and allied media have resisted the idea that legal experts are explaining to citizens what to do if they choose not to participate in a referendum held together with parliamentary elections.
Some observers are following the debate closely.
During a TVN24 broadcast, Professor Ewa Łętowska, a retired Constitutional Court judge and former first ombudsman, explained the options. She noted that if a person does not want to take part in the referendum, they have the right not to participate. However, she emphasized that the individual should either mark the list of voters with a clear note stating that they refused or did not take the card, or ensure that the appropriate notation is made by the election committee.
This explanation was highlighted by Gazeta Wyborcza.
The newspaper also relays the opinion of the National Electoral Commission on the matter.
The state election commission communicates a similar view: if a voter refuses to accept one or more ballots, the district election commission will reflect this decision in the electoral roll.
We are reading on.
Attack on Bodnar
According to the Michnik newspaper, there was an incident described as an attack on Adam Bodnar.
When Prof. Łętowska’s remarks were cited in an interview with Radio ZET, Prof. Adam Bodnar — a former ombudsman and a current Senate candidate — faced criticism from pro-government media.
The coverage underscores a broader tension around the referendum and the portrayal of dissent in the media landscape, with some voices arguing that opposition to the referendum signals an anti-democratic stance while others insist that voters must preserve their right to refrain from participation. READ ALSO: President of PiS: Very nervous reactions show that we have hit the mark. Anyone who opposes a referendum has nothing to do with democracy