Pro-turnout? Are they really? Observations on two amendments of the Electoral Code

Abstract

Insufficient voter turnout has long been a challenge in the process of building a civil society, therefore legislative attempts to stimulate citizens' participation in voting should be welcomed. The subject of the article was the analysis and assessment of two changes to the Electoral Code, which, according to their authors, were intended to increase voter turnout in elections. The research goal was to determine whether the introduced changes are in fact pro-turnout, taking into account the interests of all voters to an equal extent, regardless of their political views, and whether the technical implementation of specific legal instruments into the electoral system, separated from activities aimed at activating the passive electorate, is a solution the problem of insufficient electoral participation. Based on the analysis of the course of the legislative process accompanying both amendments and on a review of the position of the doctrine, both questions were answered in the negative.