It skews the results towards christian-backed candidates - Sunday mass gets people out of their houses, clergy reminds them to vote and at least hints who they should vote for and they do on their way home.
I have never heard of that being an issue in my country where it is a constitutional requirement for elections to be held on Sundays or public holidays.
It is an issue in Poland.
Close to 30% of the population is at Sunday mass and even if priests were perfectly neutral (and they very much aren’t) simply people deciding “I’m already out, I might as well vote” does make an impact on the outcome. Every time liberals and socialists score an election win is after electorate mobilization that counters that.
BTW I agree that voting should happen on a statutory holiday, but it shouldn’t be one associated with a majority religion.
That’s a thing where I am from. Also, only day where alcohol cannot be sold, as you must do your duty sober. Fair compromise if you ask me: if I already know who I am voting for, I also had the prescience to buy my booze the night before :)
Voting days should be mandatory holidays
Lots of countries vote on Sundays which solves that problem
It skews the results towards christian-backed candidates - Sunday mass gets people out of their houses, clergy reminds them to vote and at least hints who they should vote for and they do on their way home.
I have never heard of that being an issue in my country where it is a constitutional requirement for elections to be held on Sundays or public holidays.
It is an issue in Poland. Close to 30% of the population is at Sunday mass and even if priests were perfectly neutral (and they very much aren’t) simply people deciding “I’m already out, I might as well vote” does make an impact on the outcome. Every time liberals and socialists score an election win is after electorate mobilization that counters that.
BTW I agree that voting should happen on a statutory holiday, but it shouldn’t be one associated with a majority religion.
I’m 50 years old and for as long as I can remember voting days in my country are a national holiday from the lowest government post to the highest.
But then we’d all get pissed the day before and be too hungover to go and vote
That’s a thing where I am from. Also, only day where alcohol cannot be sold, as you must do your duty sober. Fair compromise if you ask me: if I already know who I am voting for, I also had the prescience to buy my booze the night before :)
Absolutely