Tomorrow, Thursday 25th September 2025, Zongongian voters will go to the polls to decide on five different referendum questions, all of which would dramatically change Zongongian society overnight. Part of the deal which saw Zongongia’s mainstream parties locked out of government by a coalition of five parties, each party has had the opportunity to ask one question of the population, no holds barred. And there have been no small measures proposed.
The five questions are as follows, with their proposing party in brackets:
- Should Zongongia abolish the monarchy and become a republic? (Republic Now!)
- Should the state immediately nationalise all essential industries? (Communist Party)
- Should Zongongia enter into a political union with Kerlile? (Women Rising)
- Should Zongongia establish a carbon rationing system? (Green Ecology)
- Should tertiary education become compulsory? (Tomorrow Party)
If even one referendum passes, life in Zongongia will change forever. Technically, all five could pass together without contradiction. (The only possible contradiction would be if the union with Kerlile passes and the abolition of the monarchy does NOT – though this would not technically preclude a rearrangement of the royal line of succession to remove males). Polling suggests, however, that the only likely ‘Yes’ vote will be to the first question on the matter of the monarchy.
Taking the average of the last five opinion polls from Zongongia’s top five polling companies:
- Abolition of the monarchy – 57% Yes, 34% No, 9% Don’t Know
- Nationalisation of industries – 23% Yes, 69% No, 8% Don’t Know
- Union with Kerlile – 17% Yes, 82% No, 1% Don’t Know
- Carbon rationing – 22% Yes, 43% No, 35% Don’t Know
- Compulsory tertiary education – 31% Yes, 52% No, 17% Don’t Know
Excluded from the above average is a poll of university students which made headlines last week for suggesting that 56% of those polled supported union with Kerlile. This poll was undertaken by a meme-based online website and is not considered to have had a strong methodology. No poll from legitimate companies has placed the Yes vote at higher than 21% (9% among men). Gamblers seeking to place money on the result can find odds of up to 1 in 600 for a Yes vote.
Carbon rationing is the most uncertain of the questions, with a large fraction of the population still uncertain on the topic. More in-depth polling of people’s reasoning has suggested that most Zongongians do support strong measures to tackle climate change, but are reluctant to commit to a policy which would have such a drastic impact on their everyday lives. If passed, the policy would all but outlaw the personal car, and would force households to replace gas boilers before the implementation of the system.
Unsurprisingly, compulsory tertiary education has proved more popular among those who are already educated to this level or currently in tertiary education. Interestingly, however, the policy has proved more popular among both the poorest and richest citizens as opposed to those in the economic middle. This policy would also make tertiary education free, which may provide something of a suggestion as to why it is popular among the economically disadvantaged.
The Communists’ question has proven the most divisive among the general population. With the Kerlile question widely considered a joke, this is the issue which has led to the most vitriol, both on- and offline. Two teenage communists were arrested for smashing the window of a member of Lauchenoirian embassy staff who lived offsite due to the “VOTE NO #2” poster displayed in the window (2 referring to the number of the referendum on the ballot paper). While foreigners cannot vote, there is no specific law against displaying electoral materials on private property regardless of nationality.
If the royals are smart, they will be making contingency plans for the weekend. No major poll has placed the Yes vote at less than 51% over the past fortnight; with one poll suggesting as many as 64% would vote to oust them from their position. If this passes, the individual royals would merely be stripped of their titles and position, and no further action would be taken – but with the level of anger in the country, there is always the risk of mob justice. If I was a Zongongian royal, I’d be fuelling the private jet.
