Local government referendum challenges in Poland

Local referendum initiatives in Poland aimed at removing elected officials have faced various procedural and legal obstacles.

In Łęczyca, a referendum initiative was halted after the electoral commissioner rejected a significant portion of collected signatures. Of the 1,140 signatures submitted, only 821 were validated, failing to meet the required 10 percent threshold of eligible voters. Representatives for the Bezpartyjni Samorządowcy announced plans to appeal the decision to the Provincial Administrative Court in Łódź.

In other regions, referendums reached the voting stage but were declared invalid due to low turnout. In Kolbuszowa County, a vote to dismiss the County Council failed because the 18.92 percent turnout fell below the legal requirement, despite 98.07 percent of valid votes supporting the dismissal. Similarly, in Jedlińsk, a referendum to remove Mayor Kamil Dziewierz failed to reach the necessary participation level; while 96.49 percent of voters supported his removal, only 24.17 percent of eligible voters participated. Initiators in Jedlińsk had cited mismanagement, nepotism, and municipal debt as grounds for the vote.

In Częstochowa, a new recall attempt has advanced after the National Electoral Office verified 16,200 valid signatures, exceeding the required 15,900 to trigger a referendum to remove Mayor Krzysztof Matyjaszczyk. Organizers cite corruption allegations and a lack of investment as primary reasons. Matyjaszczyk has maintained his innocence, noting that a court previously declined to order his temporary arrest.