OOn Wednesday, November 22, 2023 you can go to the polls. It is then time for the House of Representatives elections. You may have noticed: just like the previous elections, this voting day also falls in the middle of the working week. But why do we always vote on Wednesdays?
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These days are falling off
It is of course useful in a democracy if as many people as possible vote. Orthodox Christians cannot go to the polling station on Sundays, because then they have Sunday rest. Friday and Saturday are omitted because of the Sabbath.
That leaves Monday through Thursday. Because such a voting day requires quite a lot of preparation, Monday is not convenient. The voting volunteers also celebrate the weekend as normal. Of the three days left, Wednesday is the most convenient. If you study the list of polling stations carefully, you can probably guess why.
Although you can vote in special places such as a riding school or a church, many polling stations are located in a school. Because most schools are empty on Wednesday afternoons, that is the best option. This way, voters don’t get in front of schoolchildren all day long.
There is one exception
Are you now thinking: but I have also voted on a different day. Which can. There is one exception and that is the election for the European Parliament. The entire European Union will then have to go to the polls within a few days. Because many countries do vote during the weekend, that period has been fixed at Thursday to Sunday. In the Netherlands, the default choice is Thursday (because the weekend is not possible, as you read above).
Source: Kiesraad.nl