Great Britain: Ministry of Justice
Published: 2010-03-22
Total Pages: 56
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This paper contains a summary of responses to "The governance of Britain: election day: weekend voting" (2008, Cm. 7334, ISBN 9780101733427), along with detailed responses to specific questions raised in the consultation, conclusions and next steps. A majority (53 per cent) of respondents favoured retaining weekday voting, but there was also a majority in favour of piloting weekend voting, should it be adopted, before introducing it across the UK. A survey of non-voters suggested many would be more likely to vote if an election was at the weekend. But evidence provided by local authorities and electoral administrators suggests that a weekend poll, particularly one held over two days, would add considerably to the logistical complexity of running elections, particularly in terms of finding appropriate staff and premises. The Government believes that the potential benefits are outweighed by the overall lack of consensus, and does not propose to move forward with weekend voting at this time. It would, though, re-examine the option should a stronger view in favour emerge in the future.