Low voter turnout in Podlaskie referendum could jeopardize airport’s being built

A referendum in which citizens of Podlaskie voivodeship were invited to vote on the building of a regional airport attracted a low proportion of eligible voters – as low as 7 percent in some large centers such as Suwałki, according to figures released by municipal committees to the press early Monday morning. The vote, for which about 1 million citizens were eligible, asked the question, “Are you in favor of the construction of the regional airport?” The referendum could be declared invalid if total voter turnout for the voivodeship is less than 30 percent. The turnout in Białystok was reportedly 23.7 percent, and in Suwałki it was 6.3 percent. The region’s third largest city, Łomża, saw a turnout of less than 3 percent. However, exit polls indicated that in Białystok over 96 percent of the people who voted had voted “yes” to the referendum question on the construction of the airport. Full results were expected to be announced later on Monday.