The conservative state is currently one of the few EU members that does not allow marriage or civil partnerships for same-sex couples. However, supporters of a proposal, which includes the Orthodox Church and almost all political parties, want to amend the constitution to define marriage as only between a man and a woman in order to prevent gay couples from marrying in the future. Numerous human rights organizations are urging people to boycott the vote, warning that approving the change could lead to further erosion of minority rights and a shift towards populism and authoritarianism in Romania. A recent poll by CURS predicted a 34 percent turnout, exceeding the required 30 percent threshold, with 90 percent in favor of the amendment. The Coalition for the Family gathered 3 million signatures to support the change. Last year, the lower house of parliament voted in favor of a referendum, which was followed by the senate in September, marking the final stage needed for approval. Campaign posters from the Coalition encouraged people to vote "Yes" to protect family values and prevent gay couples from adopting children. An opposing advertisement suggested that a "No" vote would allow a man to marry a tree. The leader of the ruling Social Democrat Party, Liviu Dragnea, expressed concerns about potentially legalizing marriage between a man and an animal, citing examples from other countries. In the days leading up to the vote, the government relaxed anti-fraud monitoring and limited options for challenging the result, while the broadcasting regulator removed a cut-off date for campaigning. The independent think tank Expert Forum (EFOR) stated that there are currently no effective methods to verify fraud in the referendum, leading to a lack of trust in the fairness of the process. Some critics believe that the ruling PSD is using the vote as a distraction from its leader's legal issues and conflicts with the European Commission. Former Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos accused the government of trying to create anti-European sentiment to deflect criticism. The Orthodox Church has endorsed a "Yes" vote, calling it Christian, democratic, and patriotic. Romania decriminalized homosexuality in 2001, long after neighboring countries, and LGBT discrimination remains common. The photo titled "Romania 1+2" shows Romanian clergymen participating in a rally to support a "Yes" vote on an upcoming referendum. The referendum proposes changes to the constitution to prevent the future recognition of same-sex marriages. This event took place in Draganesti, Romania on October 4, 2018. The information was reported by REUTERS.