Why elections are held only on Mondays in Canada? Tradition and logic behind election day

The General Election were held in Canada on Monday, April 28. However, it was not a coincidence that the country went to polls on this day. Elections in this country are always held on a Monday. It is so because of a combination of historical precedent, legislative guidelines, practical considerations, and cultural reasons. It is basically done to strike a balance between voter accessibility, administrative efficiency, and tradition.

Canada Elections Act

The Canada Elections Act lays the foundation on which the tradition of holding elections on Monday is based, though it does not explicitly mandate doing so. The Act was amended in 2007 to make it mandatory to hold elections on the third Monday of October every four years. The date can be changed if the parliament is dissolved and elections are held before that; however, it should be held on Monday. 

According to the Canada Elections Act, a minimum period of 36 days should be given for the campaign. However, the campaign should be concluded a day before Monday to ensure that the final day of voting is a workday. It is done to encourage voters for a massive turnout and give ample time to Elections Canada to prepare polling stations over the weekend.

The polling is held on Monday for historical reasons as well. As much of the population lived in rural areas in the olden days and they needed time to travel to polling stations, they were given enough time. Voting was held on Monday so that voters are allowed to travel on Sunday, a non-working day. Elections were not held on weekdays also because these days were reserved for religious or family activities.

British Tradition

As the electoral system of Canada was deeply influenced by British parliamentary practices, where elections were historically held on weekdays, Monday became a common choice in Canada. It became a tradition, and polls were held on Mondays in 2006, 2008, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2021, only to further solidify the practice. Holding the elections on Mondays also allows Elections Canada to ensure that initial vote counting can begin immediately after polls close, and the results are declared by late Monday night or early Tuesday. 

Liberals vs Conservatives

Canadians will decide Monday whether to extend the Liberal Party's decade in power or instead hand control to the Conservatives. They'll pick either Prime Minister Mark Carney or opposition leader Pierre Poilievre to lead the way forward, but the election is also a referendum of sorts on someone who isn't even Canadian: Donald Trump. Until the American president won a second term and began threatening Canada's economy and sovereignty, even suggesting the country should become the 51st state, the Liberals looked headed for defeat.

Canadians go the polls as the country grapples with the aftermath of a fatal car ramming attack on Saturday in Vancouver. The tragedy on the eve of the election prompted the suspension of campaigning for several hours. Police ruled out terrorism and said the suspect is a local man with a history of mental health issues.

(With inputs from APTN)