A Course of the Peoples Referendum of 30th June 1946 in Augustów Poviat in the Light of the Report of Head of Poviat Bureau of Public Security in Augustów

The report of head of PUBP (Poviat Bureau of Public Security) in Augustów of 2nd July 1946 is an interesting document presenting a course of the so-called People's Referendum in Augustów Poviat as well as moods of the inhabitants and their attitude to new authorities. UB's officials (Ministry of Public Security) were carefully observing the conduct of members of circuit commissions, local officials, chairs of village councils and priests in particular. They paid attention as to the fact whether they voted openly, without striking (which was encouraged), or whether they were 'going behind a curtain' - which was treated as a manifestation of distrust to the authorities and a vote against. In the Augustów UB's opinion, a test before election to Legislation Sejm, which the referendum was, did not go according to the expectations of the people's authorities. The society resisted intimidation and did not play a role of a slow 'voting machine'. Most members of circuit commissions tried to honestly fulfill their duties as well. That is why, before the election in January 1947, serious changes were made in the compositions of circuit commissions, some chairs of village councils and clerks in gminas were replaced, too. The document in publication comes from the Archives of the Institute of National Remembrance, Bialystok Branch. Aleksander Kuczynski, head of PUBP in Augustów, was its author. Original stylistics has been retained in the document, only obvious spelling mistakes and other errors which hindered the text's legibility have been corrected.