Does your country have an election reflection day? Do you support it?

10 comments

1. In the UK that happens on Polling Day itself (*always* [a Thursday](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/MbPJpDzQ9rSh7xbpmFQ0LQ/why-do-we-always-vote-in-general-elections-on-a-thursday), btw).

   So, the media can say there’s an election taking place, they can show prominent politicians voting, they can report on [unusual polling stations](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-57010009). That’s about it.

   Then after the polls close they’ll run live news reporting and analysing everything from about 2300 – 0600, normally.

2. No. We have debates and all things right up untill the last day before the election. Elections always take place on Sunday mornings (polling stations close at 12:00, such that there’s enough time to count the votes in the afternoon. Results are usually out around 16:00). So there’s not much happening on election day itself but tge Saturday before that is quite busy usually.

   That all said, a day of quiet would be nice.

3. In Italy we have ‘electoral silence’. It is the interruption of the electoral campaign that takes place on the occasion of elections. On the day before and on the days set aside for voting, rallies, meetings for direct or indirect electoral propaganda in public places or places open to the public and the posting of printed matter, wall newspapers or other propaganda posters are prohibited; moreover, on the days set aside for voting, all forms of propaganda are prohibited within a radius of 200 metres from the entrance to the polling stations. The rationale of this rule is that the citizen, after having listened to and analysed for a long time the proposals made and the reasons put forward by the various political forces that were candidates during the electoral campaign, should have at least one day at his disposal to reflect in tranquillity and decide to whom he is going to cast his vote.

4. We do not and I wouldn’t support it if it were to be introduced.

   Polling can be done whenever, and they do it on the election day too. There isnt much campaigning to do on the election day. There is no time for it and you aren’t allowed to campaign in or directly outside the polling stations any way. You are allowed to comment on the election of course, you can’t enforce a ban on that because it’d most likely to conflict with half of the constitution.

5. We don’t have it but I would really be in favour of it. Preferably even a couple of days. Every general election here has the same dynamic whereby in the last few days before election day the media starts to create this whole circus between parties and leaders as if it is some kind of beauty contest, stuff about polls, cloths, the way they speak etc. The media than starts to push one or two parties very much as the potential winners on the basis of pure cosmetic features and not actual ideas. The biggest problem I have with this is that people unconsiously like winners and to be part of the winning team. This happened with centrist progressive D66 in the last election. Many leftist voters switched to D66 at the last moment but ended up disappointed when D66 joined another center-right government.

6. Yes we do, and I’m in favour of it, although I don’t know how much impact it really has.

7. It’s exactly the same in Greece, campaigning polling and commenting is not allowed the day before the election.

8. Leading up to the elections there is a barring period, which is 4 months. During this period parties may not:

   * sell or gift gadgets or presents
   * campaign via telephone
   * advertise on radio, TV or in movie theaters
   * use commercial billboards
   * use non-commercial billboards larger than 4m²

   Nevertheless, there is no real “media silence” to speak of and the media will gladly report about the elections on the day itself (always a Sunday).

9. yes it’s a thing. I got impression that vast majority think it’s pointless and should be removed, especially now with internet

10. The day of the election itself and the day before are under “Media embargo”: all campaigning must stop, polls are forbidden, you can’t even campaign on social media for example. It stops at 8PM election day, when the results usually start coming in. There is a “tradition” to check Belgian media for exit polls and estimations before 8PM, as they are foreign and thus not subjected to embargo.

    I think it’s nice to at least have a day without polling hysteria and random controversies before the election, personnaly.