Free communication on 7 April. Don't be deceived

wbijamszpile.pl 1 year ago

The decision by the authorities of Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot to introduce free public transport on the day of local elections is due to a broader initiative to increase election attendance and to facilitate access to electoral venues. Free communication on 7 April is not a bow to voters and a duty.

As part of an initiative to facilitate access to electoral venues and to encourage residents to participate in the upcoming local elections, the authorities of Gdańsk, Gdynia, and Sopot have "decided" to introduce free public transport on the day of the vote which falls on 7 April. Aleksandra Dulkiewicz (Gdansk), Wojciech Szczurek (Gdynia) and Magdalena Czarzyńska-Jachim (Sopot) unanimously agreed to this movement, bearing in head the welfare of the inhabitants and their active participation in democratic life.

There's a PR catch in this information. The authorities usage the revised regulations of the erstwhile Law and usage them for their common propaganda.

Free communication 7 April is not a self-government concept

These changes are part of the latest amendment of the electoral code in Poland, which entered into force on 31 March 2023. These changes aim not only to increase attendance but besides to improve the work of electoral committees and to prevent electoral pathologies specified as falsification of results or multiple voting by the same person.

It is peculiarly crucial that the fresh rules impose on local authorities the work to supply free transport for disabled voters with a crucial or average degree of disability and voters who are at the latest 60 years old on the day of voting.

They must submit an appropriate request to the competent mayor 13 days before the election day. Importantly, these rules rise many doubts among local authorities, who wonder how to organise this transport individually, and what are the detailed guidelines for its implementation.

It is the work of the local government

In summary, although the initiative of free public transport on the day of the municipal elections in Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot can be seen as a self-decided decision of these cities, it is besides part of wider changes in the law, aimed at expanding election attendance and facilitating access to electoral venues.

The amendment to the Electoral Code introduces the work to supply free transport for certain groups of voters, a step towards greater inclusion and accessibility of the electoral process.

Maciej Nadrąt

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