Some local authorities in Poland are planning to boycott the upcoming presidential election, which could be conducted entirely by postal vote amid the COVID-19 pandemic
WARSAW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th April, 2020) Some local authorities in Poland are planning to boycott the upcoming presidential election, which could be conducted entirely by postal vote amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first round of the presidential vote is scheduled for May 10. After the opposition's calls to delay the vote in light of the pandemic, the Polish lower house passed a bill sponsored by the ruling Law and Justice party that would open the way for postal voting. The document has to be debated in the upper house, which is controlled by the opposition. If the upper house rejects the document, it will again be sent back to the lower house, which can overcome the veto by a majority of votes.
As part of the preparation for the election, the Poczta Polska state postal service company asked the communes to provide data on residents, including personal numbers, postal codes, residential addresses, first Names and surnames. It is assumed that postmen will deliver ballots to residents, and voters will send the filled ballots by post.
Jacek Majchrowski, the mayor of Krakow, was one of the first to refuse to provide voter data to the postal company.
"Poczta Polska is a company operating within the commercial law, and I do not quite understand why I should provide confidential data of residents to the commercial company," Majchrowski said.
A similar opinion was expressed by Mayor of Warsaw Rafal Trzaskowski.
"It is difficult for us to give out confidential data if there is no reason for this. This would mean a violation of the law, and we will not violate the law," the mayor said at a press conference.
The authorities of Opole and Gdansk have also refused to provide the personal data of residents to the postal company.
Poland's health authorities have so far confirmed 11,761 COVID-19 cases and 539 fatalities. A total of 144 cases have been registered since Sunday evening.
Poland is under a strict lockdown, with air and railroad passenger traffic suspended and border controls reinstated even for countries of Europe's visa-free Schengen area. People have been asked to remain at home.
