Forum Topic

Sunday elections

The ongoing election in France has revived my long-standing grouse. Why don't we in the UK follow France and other EU countries in holding national and local elections on Sundays, as well as the more recently introduced respite from campaigning on the preceding Saturday? Our dogged insistence on using a weekday causes problems for many, such the closure of many schools with consequent need for parents to find childcare solutions, inconvenience to many employees who work at a distance from polling stations, and surely other more particular and personal difficulties. Shifting to Sundays would perhaps reduce the number of applications for postal votes, a system which I profoundly mistrust, as being open to abuse.Sunday opening of shops used to be opposed on the grounds that it would discourage attendance at worship, but the fact that most shops are now open on Sundays would encourage more people to combine shopping and voting.

Arnold Saxton ● 1612d29 Comments

I quite agree but we shouldn't hold our breaths. In the UK the overriding rule is 'But we've always done it this way'.

Susan Kelly ● 1612d

I would not spend one sec of my weekend going to vote. 10 mins of an eveing during the week is fine and many do it on the way home from work

Julian Pavey ● 1612d

Agree Julian.

Janice Evans ● 1612d

What a relief that Macron has won. I don’t really care which day of the week it is.

Stewart Jones ● 1611d

Why your strong objection to Sunday voting, Julian?

Alastair Banton ● 1611d

Agree. Sunday voting is much more sensible for all the reasons as outlined by the OP.

Steve Taylor ● 1611d

Hi Janice -I see voter suppression is alive and well in 2022. Its the same back home.Funnily enough, society and life style have changed considerably since voting requirements were created. I'd say it's time for the electoral system to evolve. Plus you now have that whole work from home thing. Surely one could vote from phone, no?But I say that as someone who pays into the British system yet does not have the right to vote.

David Lesniak ● 1611d

Some Christians wouldn't vote on a Sunday, so would be disenfranchised.Quite a few polling stations are in church buildings, and wouldn't be available on a Sunday.You would probably have to pay the staff more to come out on a Sunday.  That's not just the polling stations, but the staff doing the count.  It's better to have council staff off on a Friday rather than Monday.Better to keep it on a Thursday.

Al Webber ● 1611d

Church buildings may not be available on Sundays but schools would be available. I am sure those counting or working at polling stations would be happy to work for the same rate of pay on a Sunday as they would get on a Thursday. It’s just a bit of extra cash for them and certainly more people would be available on a Sunday. Not sure about Christians not wanting to vote on a Sunday. Why wouldn’t they?

Steve Taylor ● 1611d

Where is my objection or even "strong" objection to sunday voting ?

Julian Pavey ● 1611d

"I would not spend one sec of my weekend going to vote.10 mins of an eveing during the week is fine and many do it on the way home from work"That certainly comes across as opposition to changing to voting on a Sunday. Whether it counts as an objection is up to the reader.

Andrew Jones ● 1611d

"That certainly comes across as opposition to changing to voting on a Sunday" No it does not Another thinking outside the box

Julian Pavey ● 1611d

O.K. You're not opposing changing the voting day to Sunday, you're simply saying that you wouldn't bother to vote if it was changed to Sunday.

Andrew Jones ● 1611d

HI David, just think people are often away from their local area on Sundays and think a weekday vote would get more taking part.  Maybe I'm old fashioned.

Janice Evans ● 1611d

"You're not opposing changing the voting day to Sunday"  Correct "you're simply saying that you wouldn't bother to vote if it was changed to Sunday" Correct, as im likely to be doing something or away and on that note no change is needed. More people go away at weekends or do rec activities ect so less likely to go and vote in my oppinion as to a weekday. And one forgets france on a sunday is not the same as the uk which is why they most likely vote on a sunday

Julian Pavey ● 1611d

In most small French towns, the church is across the aquare from the Mairie, so it was traditional to go and vote at the same time as going to mass.  There is nothing that stops the French catholics from doing both on a Sunday!  Quite nonsense to suggest that being a Christian would stop you from voting on a Sunday.  Obviously, things have evolved in France since those "halcyon days" but elections tend to be well flagged and you can use proxy voting in France too.  I remember accompanying  my parents when they went to vote - a bit of a family outing after lunch! As a matter of fact, I walked to South Kensington yesterday to cast my vote.Elections in the UK do close a lot of schools and playgroups and does make life quite difficult for a lot of working people.  I don't think a review would harm. There are pros and cons to both systems.

Cecile Parfitt ● 1611d

Sorry Julien, couldn't resist ... and no need to reply, I'm only asking in jest!Who is the one who 'forgets about france on a sunday'?As an aside, this is what is written in Wikipedia as a possible reason for some countries having their elections during the week and others at the weekend (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Election_day)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).

Andrew Jones ● 1611d

Yes it seems to work perfectly in France but the French tend to do most things a lot better than us.

Steve Taylor ● 1611d

Apologies, I realise it's Julian.

Andrew Jones ● 1611d

HaThe french spell it with an E

Julian Pavey ● 1611d

Imagine the benefits of online voting. Could be done anywhere. Anytime.

David Lesniak ● 1611d

There are benefits of course, but not everyone can vote online ... those who can't use a computer, or don't have a computer for example.And call me old fashioned, I'd rather not have how I voted available to third parties, there's a degree of anonymity with a ballot box that you can't guarantee online.

Andrew Jones ● 1611d

Agree Andrew, many people still do not have or cannot use a ComputerOr mobile.

Janice Evans ● 1610d

"Not sure about Christians not wanting to vote on a Sunday. Why wouldn’t they?"It depends how they interpret the principle of the Sabbath day of rest.  Most Christians would vote on a Sunday, but there are some who wouldn't.It didn't affect a Sunday, but there was a Jewish guy that I was at University with who wouldn't even use the light in his room on the Sabbath as it was making someone work.

Al Webber ● 1610d

I don't see it as an all or nothing, rather an either or.It would avail people of convenience when voting in alignment with every single other transaction now made in 2022.

David Lesniak ● 1610d

"..the French tend to do most things a lot better than us"No doubt in your view 42% of them voting for a "far-right" presidential candidate would be one of those things ?

Richard Greenhough ● 1610d

Friday pay-packets would lead to more drunken voters on Fridays and weekends.Particularly in Chiswick?

James Roy ● 1610d

'Not sure about Christians not wanting to vote on a Sunday. Why wouldn’t they?'This country makes me laugh - we are possibly one of the most dreadful countries for attendance at church, and the most hypocritical for so many fair-weather worshippers who want to send their offspring to church schools, and we have Bishops sitting in the House of Lords, and people on here saying people wouldn't vote on a Sunday. Please tell me how any of that makes sense?I would think the more important question is not what day polling happens - but how to persuade people to bother given the current state of politics.

Vanessa Smith ● 1610d

I still say don't make it a bother. Make it convenient. Make it an app. Make it a click, not a journey, not a trek, not an imposition, not a hassle. Granted this won't appeal to all nor be accessible to all but imagine who it would appeal to and what that might achieve. For one thing, it would engage the younger generation in a way the current dreadful system does not. No different than a brand needing to reach a new customer base to grow a business.

David Lesniak ● 1609d