Election day


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.
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 day
EuropeSundays.
South AmericaFourth Sunday of October immediately before the end of the current mandates.
EuropeSundays. Nationalrat elections may be held on another public holiday.
OceaniaSaturday for federal, state and most local elections. Postal and early voting permitted. Some local elections are by postal voting only.
EuropeSunday.
South AmericaSunday.
EuropeSunday.
South AmericaFirst Sunday of October. Runnoffs take place on the last Sunday of the same October.
EuropeSaturday for legislative elections.
North AmericaThird Monday of October every four years, or after Parliament is dissolved by the Governor General.
South AmericaSunday.
South AmericaSunday: the second Sunday of March for Congress, and the second Sunday of May for President and Vice President.
EuropeTraditionally elections are held over two days, starting on a Friday afternoon and ending the following Saturday afternoon.
EuropeSaturday.
North AmericaSunday: first Sunday of February for the President, Vice-President, and Legislative Assembly; second Sunday of February for municipal elections.
EuropeSunday.
EuropeTuesday is most common, but other days are used frequently.
South AmericaSunday.
North AmericaSunday.
EuropeElections for the Riigikogu, which chooses both the president and prime minister, are on the first Sunday of March.
EuropeSunday.
EuropeSunday.
EuropeSunday.
EuropeSunday.
AsiaSunday.
EuropeSunday.
EuropeSaturday.
AsiaElections are held over multiple days. 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.
AsiaWednesday.
EuropeTypically on a Friday, but precise date set by Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government.
AsiaBy law on the third Tuesday of Cheshvan, but normally held on a different day. Election day is a holiday in Israel, so people do not have to work.
EuropeMunicipal, provincial, and regional elections take place on Mondays, as do elections for the Chamber of Deputies. Elections for the Senate and EU Parliament elections take place on Sundays.
AsiaSunday.
EuropeSaturday.
AsiaSunday.
EuropeElections 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.
EuropeSunday.
AsiaSunday.
EuropeSunday.
EuropeSaturday.
AsiaTraditionally on weekends. In 2018, the general election was held on Wednesday.
North AmericaSunday.
EuropeSunday.
EuropeTypically on a Wednesday. For elections to the European Parliament, Thursday.
OceaniaSaturday.
North AmericaSunday.
EuropeMonday in early September. Exact date set by the King of Norway.
North AmericaSunday.
South AmericaSunday.
South AmericaSunday.
AsiaSecond Monday in May.
EuropeSunday.
EuropeSunday.
North AmericaFirst Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
EuropeSunday.
EuropeSunday.
EuropeSunday.
AsiaSaturdays, but can be any day of the week, such as when Saturdays conflict with holidays. By law, polling day is a public holiday if it falls on a weekday.
EuropeSlovakian elections are held across a Friday and Saturday, like in Czechia.
EuropeSunday.
AsiaUsually Wednesday. Election day is a national holiday.
EuropeThere 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.
EuropeSecond Sunday of September.
EuropeSaturday and Sunday.
AsiaSaturday.
AsiaSunday.
EuropeSunday.
EuropeSunday.
EuropeThursday.
North AmericaFirst Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
South AmericaSunday.
South AmericaSunday.

Other bodies

take place over a period of four days, according to the election days of the EU members states. 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 which hold the ballot before Sunday are not permitted to announce results until all other countries have finished voting.
Local elections in Spain are held by law on the 4th Sunday of May.