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Election day

Day when elections are held

Election day

Day when elections are held

Note

the general term "election day" worldwide

date=October 2022}}

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Election Day or Polling Day is the day on which general elections are held. In many countries, general elections are always held on a Saturday or Sunday, to enable as many voters as possible to participate; while in other countries elections are always held on a weekday. However, some countries, or regions within a country, which hold elections on a weekday declare election day a public holiday. Countries which permit absentee ballots, early ballots or postal votes to be cast by mail before the election avoid the problem altogether by enabling voters to vote on a day that is more convenient to them.

Sundays are the most common day for elections, but this is less true in the Anglosphere; Saturdays are used in New Zealand and Australia, and weekdays for the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. This is partially due to the influence of Protestantism, which historically set restrictions on activities other than church-going during the Sabbath (usually considered as falling on a Sunday).

An election day usually culminates in an election night when the results of the election are tallied and winners are announced.

Election day by country/territory

Country/TerritoryRegionElection daypolitical system
AlbaniaEuropeSunday.Parliamentary republic
ArgentinaSouth AmericaFourth Sunday of October immediately before the end of the current mandates.federal presidential republic
AustriaEuropeSunday. Nationalrat elections may be held on another public holiday.Parliamentary republic
AustraliaOceaniatitle=Elections and voting in Australiaurl=http://static.moadoph.gov.au/ophgovau/media/images/apmc/docs/62-Elections.pdfpublisher=Museum of Australian Democracyaccess-date=22 November 2017}} state and most local elections. Postal and early voting permitted. Some local elections are by postal voting only.Parliamentary monarchy
BelgiumEuropeSunday (until 1894, Tuesday).Parliamentary monarchy
BoliviaSouth AmericaSunday.Presidential republic
Bosnia and HerzegovinaEuropeSunday.Parliamentary republic
BrazilSouth AmericaFirst Sunday of October. Runoffs take place on the last Sunday of the same October.Federal presidential republic
BulgariaEuropeSunday.Parliamentary republic
CanadaNorth AmericaThird Monday of October every four years, or after Parliament is dissolved by the Governor General.Parliamentary monarchy
ChileSouth AmericaSunday.Presidential republic
ColombiaSouth AmericaSunday: the second Sunday of March for Congress, and the second Sunday of May for President and Vice President.Presidential republic
Czech RepublicEuropetitle=General elections 2017url=http://www.radio.cz/en/static/elections-2017/publisher=Radio Pragueaccess-date=21 November 2017language=en}}{{cite reportdate=30 June 2015title=Voting hours for elections in EU Member Statespublisher=Oireachtas Library & Research Servicepages=1–4access-date=30 May 2020 }}
CyprusEuropetitle=Holding the Electionurl=http://www.vaalit.fi/en/index/onelections/europeanelections/holdingtheelection.htmlwebsite=www.vaalit.fiaccess-date=23 November 2017archive-date=1 December 2017archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201035414/http://www.vaalit.fi/en/index/onelections/europeanelections/holdingtheelection.htmlurl-status=dead}}Parliamentary republic
Costa RicaNorth AmericaSunday: first Sunday of February for the President, Vice-President, and Legislative Assembly; second Sunday of February for municipal elections.Presidential republic
CroatiaEuropelast1=Schakelfirst1=Arjan H.title=Regional and National Elections in Eastern Europe: Territoriality of the Vote in Ten Countriesdate=2017publisher=Palgrave Macmillianlocation=Londonisbn=978-1-137-51787-6url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oUUfDgAAQBAJaccess-date=30 May 2020}}Parliamentary republic
DenmarkEuropeauthor1=Folketingtitle=The Parliamentary Electoral System in Denmarkurl=http://elections.oim.dk/media/10505/parliamentary-system-dk.pdfaccess-date=21 November 2017page=18date=January 2011}}Parliamentary monarchy
EcuadorSouth AmericaSunday.Presidential republic
El SalvadorNorth AmericaSunday.Presidential republic
EstoniaEuropeElections for the Riigikogu, which chooses both the president and prime minister, are on the first Sunday of March.Parliamentary republic
FinlandEuropeSunday.Parliamentary republic
FranceEuropeSunday.Semi-presidential republic
GermanyEuropeSunday. Elections to the Bundestag may be held on another public holiday.Federal parliamentary republic
GreeceEuropeSunday.Parliamentary republic
Hong KongAsiaSunday.
HungaryEuropeSunday.Parliamentary republic
IcelandEuropeSaturday.Parliamentary republic
IndiaAsialast1=Massicottefirst1=Louislast2=Blaisfirst2=Andrélast3=Yoshinakafirst3=Antoinetitle=Establishing the Rules of the Game: Election Laws in Democraciesdate=January 2004publisher=University of Toronto Pressisbn=978-0802085641pages=116–118url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IHA8h0QrAZwC}} The 2019 Indian general election, which began on a Thursday, took place over seven phases with six days between each phase. Constituencies vote only on the day of their respective phase.Federal parliamentary republic
IndonesiaAsiaElections are typically held on a Wednesday since 2009 for presidential elections, and since 2014 for legislative elections; both elections have been held on the same day since 2019. Election dates are determined by the General Elections Commission (Indonesian: Komisi Pemilihan Umum, KPU), but must occur "on a holiday or a day determined as a national holiday" per the Indonesian electoral law of 2017.Presidential republic
IranAsiaFriday for presidential elections.
IrelandEuropelast1=Ryanfirst1=Philliplast2=Horanfirst2=Niamhlast3=O'Connorfirst3=Nialltitle=Six Nations match at the centre of row over election date - Independent.ieurl=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/election-2016/six-nations-match-at-the-centre-of-row-over-election-date-34410126.htmlaccess-date=21 November 2017work=Independent.iedate=31 January 2016language=en}}Parliamentary republic
IsraelAsialast=Hoffmanfirst=Gil Sterndate=24 March 2015title=With full term possible, Netanyahu may outlast Ben-Gurion (and Obama)url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-Elections/With-full-term-in-office-possible-Netanyahu-looks-to-outlast-Ben-Gurion-and-Obama-394879newspaper=The Jerusalem Postaccess-date=8 April 2019}} Election day is a holiday in Israel, so people do not have to work.Parliamentary republic
ItalyEuropeMunicipal, provincial, and regional elections take place on a Sunday, as do elections for the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate and EU Parliament elections. Occasionally Mondays are added as voting day.Parliamentary republic
JapanAsiaSunday.Parliamentary monarchy
LatviaEuropelast1=Brettfirst1=Judithtitle=From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage: How Australia Got Compulsory Votingdate=2019publisher=Text Publishingisbn=978-1-925626-81-0page=111url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZYdwDwAAQBAJaccess-date=30 May 2020language=enquote=Australia is one of only a handful of countries to hold elections on Saturdays. Cyprus, Malta, Iceland, Latvia, Slovakia, Taiwan, and New Zealand are the others. ... Most countries go to the polls on Sundays, except in the Protestant-dominated Anglosphere, where public activities on the Sabbath other than attending church have historically been severely restricted.}}Parliamentary republic
LebanonAsiaUntil 2009, elections were held over several consecutive Sundays. The most recent election, the 2018 Lebanese general election, was also held on a Sunday.Parliamentary republic
LithuaniaEuropeElections for the Seimas are on the second Sunday of October, and for the president the last Sunday two months before the end of the current president's term.Parliamentary republic
LuxembourgEuropeSunday.Parliamentary monarchy
MacauAsiaSunday.
MacedoniaEuropeSunday, but the 2020 North Macedonian parliamentary election departed from this standard. It was held over three weekdays after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Parliamentary republic
MaltaEuropeSaturday.Parliamentary republic
MalaysiaAsiaSaturdayParliamentary monarchy
MexicoNorth AmericaFirst Sunday of July until 2018. From 2021, the first Sunday of June.Federal presidential republic
MontenegroEuropeSunday for Parliamentary elections.Parliamentary republic
NetherlandsEuropedate=June 2017title=European Democraciesurl=https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/European-Democracies.pdfpublisher=Electoral Reform Societyaccess-date=29 May 2020 }} For elections to the European Parliament, Thursday.Parliamentary monarchy
New ZealandOceaniaurl=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/politics/election-day/general-electionstitle=Election Days – General Elections 1853-2011date=24 November 2016website=nzhistory.govt.nzpublisher=Ministry for Culture and Heritage, New Zealandaccess-date=16 August 2019}}Parliamentary monarchy
NicaraguaNorth AmericaSunday.Presidential republic
NorwayEuropetitle=The main features of the Norwegian electoral systemurl=https://www.regjeringen.no/en/topics/elections-and-democracy/den-norske-valgordningen/the-norwegian-electoral-system/id456636/website=Government.nodate=6 July 2017access-date=21 November 2017}}Parliamentary monarchy
PanamaNorth AmericaSunday.Presidential republic
ParaguaySouth AmericaSunday.Presidential republic
PeruSouth AmericaSunday.Presidential republic
PhilippinesAsialast1=Lazofirst1=Ricardo S.title=Philippine governance and the 1987 constitutiondate=2009publisher=Published & distributed by Rex Book Storelocation=Manila, Philippinesisbn=9789712345463page=161edition= 2009 2nd}}Presidential republic
PolandEuropeSunday.Semi-presidential republic
PortugalEuropeSunday.Parliamentary republic
Puerto RicoNorth AmericaDay after the first Monday in November.
RomaniaEuropeSunday.Parliamentary republic
RussiaEuropeurl=http://cikrf.ru/law/federal_law/comment/st10.phptitle=Статья 10. Назначение выборовwebsite=Central Election Commission of the Russian Federationaccess-date=2018-12-28quote=Голосование на выборах может быть назначено только на воскресенье.trans-title=Article 10. Election schedulinglanguage=ru}}Presidential republic
SerbiaEuropeSunday.Semi-presidential republic
SingaporeAsiaSaturday. When Lee Hsien Loong was a PM, election day was on Friday. By law, polling day is a public holiday if it falls on a weekday.Parliamentary republic
SlovakiaEuropeSaturday.Parliamentary republic
SloveniaEuropeSunday.Parliamentary republic
South KoreaAsiaUsually Wednesday (although the most recent election in 2025 was held on a Tuesday). Election day is a national holiday.Presidential republic
SpainEuropeThere is no fixed election day for general elections, although since 1986 every general election has been held on Sunday. Municipal and provincial elections take place on the fourth Sunday of May.Parliamentary monarchy
SwedenEuropeSecond Sunday of September.Parliamentary monarchy
SwitzerlandEuropedate=September 2008title=Election Day: Weekend Votingurl=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/238758/7334.pdfpage = 10access-date=29 May 2020 }}
TaiwanAsiatitle=Election Day in Taiwanurl=http://www.dailymirror.lk/104907/Election-Day-in-Taiwanaccess-date=23 November 2017language=en}}Semi-presidential republic
ThailandAsiaSunday.Parliamentary monarchy
TurkeyEuropeSunday.Presidential republic
UkraineEuropeSunday.Semi-presidential republic
United KingdomEuropeSee also: Election Day (United Kingdom)}}Parliamentary monarchy
United StatesNorth Americalast1=Montanarofirst1=Domenicotitle=Why Do We Vote on Tuesdays?url=https://www.npr.org/2016/11/01/500208500/why-do-we-vote-on-tuesdaysaccess-date=21 November 2017work=NPR.orgdate=1 November 2016language=en}}Federal presidential republic
UruguaySouth AmericaSunday.Presidential republic
VenezuelaSouth AmericaSunday.Presidential republic
VietnamAsiaSunday.

Other bodies

Elections to the European Parliament take place over a period of four days (i.e., Thursday through to Sunday), according to the election days of the EU members states (as listed above). There are some exceptions; as Wednesday was not covered by the available dates, the Netherlands holds elections on Thursday, while Denmark holds elections on Sunday. Countries that hold the ballot before Sunday are not permitted to announce results until all other countries have finished voting.

Notes

References

References

  1. Orr, Graeme. (2016). "Ritual and Rhythm in Electoral Systems: A Comparative Legal Account".
  2. [https://www.refworld.org/pdfid/4c1f93e32.pdf "THE ELECTORAL CODE OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA."] Law no. 10 019. December 29, 2008.
  3. "National Electoral Code – Article 53 and 148".
  4. "Elections and voting in Australia". Museum of Australian Democracy.
  5. (20 January 2015). "Report of the 2014 National Lawyers Guild Bolivian Election Observation Delegation". National Lawyers Guild.
  6. "Electoral Law – Article 1".
  7. "Elections Canada".
  8. Law No. 18.700, [https://pdba.georgetown.edu/Electoral/Chile/escruti.html ''Aprueba la Ley Orgánica Constitucional sobre Votaciones Populares y Escrutinios'']. Article 169 ("Los plebiscitos comunales se efectuarán en día domingo."); Article 174 ("Las elecciones no periódicas de Diputados se realizarán en la fecha que establezca el Presidente de la República ... que deberá recaer en un día domingo no anterior al nonagésimo ni posterior al centésimo vigésimo siguiente a la publicación de dicho decreto.").
  9. [http://consejoderedaccion.org/webs/traslapista2015/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/3.1-C%C3%B3digo-electoral-colombiano.pdf Election Law of Colombia] (in Spanish), February 1993, p. 185. “Las elecciones para Congreso de la República se realizarán el segundo domingo de marzo. Las elecciones de Presidente y Vicepresidente se realizarán el segundo domingo de mayo. En caso que debe celebrarse nueva votación, de conformidad con lo dispuesto por el artículo 190 de la Constitución Política, esta tendrá lugar tres (3) semanas mas tarde."
  10. "General elections 2017". Radio Prague.
  11. "Holding the Election".
  12. (2 September 2009). "Electoral Act".
  13. (2017). "Regional and National Elections in Eastern Europe: Territoriality of the Vote in Ten Countries". Palgrave Macmillian.
  14. (January 2011). "The Parliamentary Electoral System in Denmark".
  15. (2011). "Political Systems Of The Central And Eastern European Countries".
  16. Aggeborn, Linuz. (2011). "Voting System Voter Turnout Policy Outcome". Uppsala University.
  17. (3 June 2008). "§16 Bundeswahlgesetz". Bundesministerium der Justiz.
  18. (2020). "The European Parliament Election of 2019 in East-Central Europe".
  19. (January 2004). "Establishing the Rules of the Game: Election Laws in Democracies". University of Toronto Press.
  20. "India Elects 2019: The World's Largest Election, Explained".
  21. (11 April 2019). "Why do India's elections take so long?". The Economist.
  22. (15 August 2017). "LAW OF REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA, NUMBER 7 YEAR 2017, GOVERNING ELECTIONS".
  23. (2 March 1992). "قانون انتخابات رياست جمهوري ايران".
  24. (31 January 2016). "Six Nations match at the centre of row over election date - Independent.ie". Independent.ie.
  25. Hoffman, Gil Stern. (24 March 2015). "With full term possible, Netanyahu may outlast Ben-Gurion (and Obama)". [[The Jerusalem Post]].
  26. Sharabi, Meital. (4 April 2019). "Eclectic election day activities". [[The Jerusalem Post]].
  27. (2000). "Japan's New Party System". Westview Press.
  28. (2019). "From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage: How Australia Got Compulsory Voting". Text Publishing.
  29. [[Arda Arsenian Ekmekji]]. (July 2012). "Confessionalism and Electoral Reform in Lebanon". Aspen Institute.
  30. (2011). "Political Systems Of The Central And Eastern European Countries".
  31. (14 June 2019). "Voters reminded not to reveal voting intention at Sunday's polling".
  32. (15 July 2020). "North Macedonia at the polls today". OBC Transeuropa.
  33. (14 June 2012). "Elections in Mexico and the US: Comparisons and contrasts".
  34. (18 February 1998). "Law on Election of Councillors and Members of Parliament".
  35. (June 2017). "European Democracies". Electoral Reform Society.
  36. "Elections". European Parliament.
  37. (24 November 2016). "Election Days – General Elections 1853-2011". Ministry for Culture and Heritage, New Zealand.
  38. (6 July 2017). "The main features of the Norwegian electoral system".
  39. (1 June 2022). "Tribunal Electoral de Panamá convoca a elecciones generales de 2024". CNN.
  40. "Peru Can Give U.S. Lessons in How to Hold Elections".
  41. (2009). "Philippine governance and the 1987 constitution". Published & distributed by Rex Book Store.
  42. (2016). "Religion, Politics, and Values in Poland: Continuity and Change Since 1989". Palgrave MacMillan.
  43. [http://www.bvirtual.ogp.pr.gov/ogp/Bvirtual/leyesreferencia/PDF/C%C3%B3digos/78-2011/78-2011.pdf ''“Código Electoral de Puerto Rico para el Siglo XXI”: Ley Núm. 78 de 1 de Junio de 2011, según enmendada.'' CAPÍTULO IX. – PROCEDIMIENTOS ANTERIORES A LA ELECCIÓN; VOTACIÓN: Artículo 9.001. – Fecha de las Elecciones. – (16 L.P.R.A. § 4141)] Gobierno de Puerto Rico. San Juan, Puerto Rico. p. 66 of 104. Accessed 8 November 2019.
  44. "Статья 10. Назначение выборов".
  45. (25 August 2015). "GE2015: First time Polling Day falls on a Friday, but not first time polls held on a weekday". The Straits Times.
  46. "180/2014 Z.z. - Zákon o podmienkach výkonu volebnéh...".
  47. "The Effectiveness of Early Voting – A Case Study of the Republic of Korea".
  48. "Elecciones Generales". [[Junta Electoral Central]].
  49. "Ley Orgánica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Régimen Electoral General". [[Boletín Oficial del Estado]].
  50. "Elections in Sweden".
  51. Riksdagsförvaltningen. "Elections to the Riksdag".
  52. "Election Day in Taiwan".
  53. Campbell, Michael. (16 December 2016). "Election Reform Effects on Policy Targeting: Voter Responses to Rice Subsidies in Thailand". University of Colorada–Denver.
  54. "CUMHURBAŞKANI SEÇİMİ KANUNU".
  55. (1 November 2016). "Why Do We Vote on Tuesdays?". NPR.org.
  56. (17 January 2013). "Elections in Venezuela and Pennsylvania: Lessons in Democracy?". North American Congress on Latin America.
  57. "An overall look at Vietnam's election law". Vietnam Law & Legal Forum.
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