The TV Republika news portal has obtained access to campaign statistics from the “Your Voice Matters” Foundation. According to the data, just on Tuesday, the organization spent between 6,400 and 7,390 PLN on Meta Ads for a set of ten advertisements. Though presented under the guise of a “pro-turnout” appeal, these ads mock supporters of Karol Nawrocki and, more broadly, right-wing voters. Despite the relatively modest budget, the video spots garnered between 1.4 and 1.6 million views and reached approximately one million unique users. Alarmingly, this is merely the tip of the iceberg: the foundation is simultaneously running 22 campaigns on Google Ads, and the entire operation appears to be a carefully orchestrated psychological strategy ahead of the decisive second round of the presidential election.
Old Tricks in a New Package
Since social media became the dominant channel for political communication, manipulation through paid advertising has become routine. This time, however, we are dealing with more than just a typical “negative campaign.” The advertisements by the “Your Voice Matters” Foundation do not attack the candidate directly. Instead, they ridicule his supporters, portraying them as naïve, blindly obedient, and devoid of critical thinking. The objective is clear: to discourage Nawrocki’s supporters from voting while simultaneously mobilizing Rafał Trzaskowski’s electorate by reinforcing a sense of “moral superiority” among his followers.
How the Strategy Works
- Apparent Neutrality
The ads are branded with the hashtag #YourVoiceMatters and designed in the style of nonpartisan voter turnout campaigns. In practice, however, the content comprises a series of gags featuring caricatured portrayals of “typical” right-wing voters—more akin to comedy sketches than civic appeals. - Precise Targeting
TVRepublika.pl analyzed the Ad Library data and found that the campaign’s themes and creative style were targeted toward the demographic “18–35, interests: patriotism, tradition, conservatism.” In other words, the very group where the battle for undecided young conservatives is most intense. - Psychology in the Service of Politics
Research shows that ridiculing a reference group diminishes its motivation to mobilize. This is the exact mechanism the campaign’s architects are testing—spending just under 7,000 PLN per day and reaping a million views in return.
Is It Legal?
Polish electoral law requires campaign committees to disclose their finances and label promotional materials appropriately. The foundation is not an official committee, and its ads carry only the vague label “Paid for by: ‘Your Voice Matters’ Foundation.” There is no information on the funding source—whether private donations, sponsors linked to political parties, or possibly foreign money. The National Electoral Commission lacks the tools to verify this swiftly, and existing regulations concerning so-called “third-party campaigning” still leave room for abuse. The critical question is: who is truly behind this operation, and why do they seek to influence the election outcome without bearing political responsibility?
A Cost That Pays Off Handsomely
According to TV Republika’s calculations, the CPM (cost per thousand impressions) is only 4.3–5 PLN. These are rates that even the largest campaign teams would envy. For comparison, the average CPM for political ads during election periods usually exceeds 10 PLN and can reach 15–20 PLN on peak days. How is the foundation achieving 2–3 times better rates? Experts point to aggressive bidding during late-night and early-morning hours, when competition is low, as well as the use of the Reels format, which Facebook algorithmically favours by reducing display costs. In short, they buy attention cheaply and sell a narrative expensively.
Who Is a Real Beneficiary?
Publicly, the Foundation claims to be committed to high voter turnout and informed decision-making. In practice, however, the message is selective: “Your voice matters, but only if you vote against Nawrocki.” The strategy resembles the “Vote or Die” campaign in the U.S. in 2004, which ostensibly aimed to encourage youth participation but in effect mobilized only left-leaning, liberal-leaning youth. Today, that same model is being applied in the Polish context: pro-democracy rhetoric serves as a façade for targeting a specific social group.
Karol Nawrocki made it to the second round with a result only slightly lower than the overly optimistic poll numbers predicted for coalition-favorite Rafał Trzaskowski. The race remains open. In this context, the “Your Voice Matters” campaign undercuts young right-wing voters by suggesting that supporting Nawrocki is unfashionable, laughable, and associated with outdated internet memes. If even a small percentage of young conservatives decide to stay home, that could be enough to tip the balance of the election.
A Million Views – A Million Problems
This is not just about numbers. The caricatured and contemptuous image of a right-wing voter is spreading across the internet faster than official campaign videos. On TikTok, fragments of the foundation’s ads have been remixed and garnered hundreds of thousands of additional views. The message thus reaches people outside the original target audience, multiplying its effect. In practice, this resembles a digital mob of jeering spectators rather than a constructive call to civic engagement. Is this what “civic education” now looks like in the hands of the so-called third sector?
The National Electoral Commission may indeed request detailed data from Facebook, but the procedure will take longer than the campaign itself. Similarly, the Personal Data Protection Office has limited tools; although political ads fall under GDPR, tech giants are difficult to compel to disclose targeting mechanisms promptly. Meanwhile, the election clock is ticking, and the ostensibly independent foundation is landing digital blows.
Conclusions
- The lack of transparency in the funding of the “Your Voice Matters” Foundation’s campaign raises serious concerns about the manipulation of public opinion.
- The “mock your opponent” model is effective because it appeals to emotions—much more than reasoned debate.
- The law lags behind technology: regulatory loopholes allow pseudo-NGOs to conduct de facto campaign activity without oversight.
- The response must be swift and multifaceted—from both state institutions and the media—not only legal but also informational.
The campaign by the “Your Voice Matters” Foundation is emblematic of the times: parliamentary debate has been supplanted by 15-second videos, and substantive arguments by sarcastic laughter. If we fail to learn the lessons today, tomorrow we may wake up in a reality where the winner is the one with the cheapest CPM and the edgiest memes. At that point, democracy may become just another app on our phones—an app we delete once it stops entertaining us.