Election Day (United Kingdom)

Election Day in the United Kingdom is by tradition a Thursday. It has been suggested that this tradition arose as the best of several circumstances: Friday pay-packets would lead to more drunken voters on Fridays and weekends; having the election as far after a Sunday as possible would reduce the influence of Sunday sermons; many towns held markets on Thursdays, thus the local population would be travelling to town that day anyway. Under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, all future General Elections shall take place on the first Thursday in May every five years, barring special circumstances. Most other European countries hold all Elections on Sundays. Polls in the United Kingdom open at 7:00 and close at 22:00.

UK General Elections

Before the Fixed Terms Parliament Act, a General Election in the UK would follow the dissolution of Parliament by the Monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister of the day. The Prime Minister thus had the power to choose the date of the election. Now, the decision is taken by two-thirds majority of the House of Commons, or is legally determined through the act as the first Thursday in May every 5 years. Thursday has been the customary day to hold elections since the 1930s.[1] The Levellers proposed that elections be held on the first Thursday in every second March in The Agreement of the People in 1647.[2]

Historically, elections took place over the course of a four-week period until 1918. Election days were then as follows:

and elections have been on Thursdays since then:

UK General Elections

Before the Fixed Terms Parliament Act, a General Election in the UK would follow the dissolution of Parliament by the Monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister of the day. The Prime Minister thus had the power to choose the date of the election. Now, the decision is taken by two-thirds majority of the House of Commons, or is legally determined through the act as the first Thursday in May every 5 years. Thursday has been the customary day to hold elections since the 1930s.[3] The Levellers proposed that elections be held on the first Thursday in every second March in The Agreement of the People in 1647.[4]

Historically, elections took place over the course of a four-week period until 1918. Election days were then as follows:

and elections have been on Thursdays since then:

References

  1. ↑ White, Isobel (22 September 2009). "Timing of Parliamentary election counts". House of Commons Library. p. 3. Retrieved 2015-04-25.
  2. ↑ An Agreement of the People for a firm and present peace upon grounds of common right October 1647
  3. ↑ White, Isobel (22 September 2009). "Timing of Parliamentary election counts". House of Commons Library. p. 3. Retrieved 2015-04-25.
  4. ↑ An Agreement of the People for a firm and present peace upon grounds of common right October 1647
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