The Sejm’s Judiciary Committee advances a bill enabling a national referendum to coincide with parliamentary elections
A bill has been tabled by the Sejm’s Judiciary Committee for further work. The proposal would permit a nationwide referendum to be held on the same day and at the same time as parliamentary elections, aiming to streamline the process and reduce scheduling complexity.
From the ruling party’s perspective, PiS describes the measure as technical. Opponents argue it could funnel campaign funds through looser electoral rules, raising concerns about financial transparency. The KO bloc, among others, noted the absence of a vacatio legis period, meaning the law would take effect the day after publication rather than upon approval.
The first reading occurred before the seven-day waiting period mandated by the Sejm had elapsed, and many deputies agreed the committee should begin work as requested by the chair, Marek Ast. The committee that conducted the initial reading did not vote to postpone. The proposal from Poland 2050 to reject the bill did not secure a majority.
Officials noted that the draft does not require a formal postponement because the next Sejm session is scheduled for next week.
Anna-Maria Żukowska emphasized that a measure affecting civil rights demands careful expertise, underscoring the importance of deliberate consideration.
Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz questioned the haste, describing the motive as a political move to heighten tensions and frame the national debate with strong anti-immigrant rhetoric. She asked what practical value a referendum would bring without broad consensus.
Her question: what is the point of a referendum when many key steps are already in place, and there is no party pressing for a forced move or a hard deadline? The European Commission’s stance also weighed into the discussion, with leaders asking for clarity on the plan.
To justify the bill, Paweł Hreniak noted that the amended 2003 law already allows the possibility of aligning parliamentary, European Parliament, and presidential elections with a national referendum. He recalled recent statements by the state election commission that supported this alignment and argued the proposal simply standardizes voting times for transparency and convenience.
Hreniak added that the draft would harmonize hours across all votes, creating a unified timeline while clarifying information flow about constituency election commissions and issues related to postal and proxy voting. The proposal also addresses how ballots cast on vessels would be transferred to the electoral authority responsible for Warsaw.
Financial considerations also weighed heavily in the debate. Gasiuk-Pihowicz highlighted the tension between the more restrictive electoral finance rules and the more permissive provisions governing referendum funding. She warned that combining campaigns could open new funding avenues, including state-owned enterprises, potentially reshaping political financing in favor of those in power. She warned that campaign slogans for the ruling party could blend with referendum messaging.
Michał Szczerba of KO warned that the ruling party could deploy substantial financial resources by redirecting funds from court-related bodies and patriotic funds to support a referendum-style campaign, all under the guise of civic participation. PiS representatives responded that the referendum materials did not name any parliamentary candidates, attempting to separate the referendum from a parliamentary race.
NEC President Sylwester Marciniak pointed out that current law already provides a solid legal basis for holding elections alongside a referendum on the same day, with the exception of municipal elections. He stressed that the electoral framework does not govern referendum financing, and that costs for election commissions come from designated sources with financial reporting requirements for trustees managed by the NEC. He noted that the financial structure for the referendum would be separate from parliamentary election funds.
The main sticking point remains the voting hours. Referendum polls run from 6:00 to 22:00, while parliamentary elections run from 7:00 to 21:00. The opposition reminded the assembly of concerns raised by the Commissioner for Human Rights about whether overseas counting centers could manage the same-day schedule, given the need for timely tabulation and the risk of uncounted ballots if deadlines are missed.
During the previous Sejm and Senate elections four years ago, overseas election commissions operated in more than 90 countries, and a maximum 24-hour window for abroad protocol delivery had been in effect since 2003 without reports of votes left uncounted. Marciniak reaffirmed the experience of past elections in this regard.
The bill states that a national referendum may be held on the same day and time as parliamentary, presidential, or European Parliament elections, with hours set from 07:00 to 21:00. In June, PiS president Jarosław Kaczyński signaled that migrant relocation in the EU should be addressed by a referendum. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki confirmed plans to hold the referendum alongside national elections in the autumn, pending formal approval.
Source: wPolityce