The general election has been set for 4 July 2024, with the nation taking to the ballot boxes to cast their vote on which party should form the next government.

As you may have noticed when making a note to vote in your diary, this election falls on a Thursday. Cast your thoughts back to the last election and you may remember it was held on 12 December 2019, also a Thursday. The one before that, on 8 June 2017 was once again, you guessed it, held on a Thursday. In fact, you’d have to go as far back as 1931 to find an election that was held on a different day of the week.

Intrigued as to why our voting history shows we always take to the polling stations on a Thursday? Stylist explains…

A quick look at the history of the vote points to the fact this is probably down to tradition rather than any law that stipulates we can only vote on a Thursday. Prior to 1918, elections took place over several days, but this all changed when the Representation Of The People Act came in and stated that elections had to be held on a singular day.

Judging from multiple sources, Thursday was probably picked for practical, social and cultural reasons. Fridays weren’t in favour as they’re a popular day for everyone to head to the pub after a week at work – and politicians probably made an educated guess that voting and alcohol don’t go together hand in hand. Sunday would have also been out of the question, so as not to interfere with churchgoing and isolating religious people who wanted to vote.

The general election held on 27 October 1931 took place on a Tuesday. Prior to this, both the 1922 and 1924 elections took place on Wednesdays.

However, as of 1935, all general elections have been held on a Thursday. So, for various reasons, it appears the tradition is set to stay. 

Different countries follow their own rules and traditions when setting the day for their populations to head to the ballot box.

For example, in the US it is statutorily set that a presidential election must be held “the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November” (ie the Tuesday after the first Monday in November) while France always elects its president on a Sunday.

Images: Getty