Note: Ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3, this analysis examines why elections take place on Tuesdays in the United States and how many other countries also have weekday elections. It’s an excerpt from a broader July 2026 analysis about the ways that American democracy stands out internationally.
Since the mid-19th century, Tuesday has been the standard day for U.S. elections (with certain exceptions). Back when the nation was primarily rural and all voting was in person, getting to and from a polling place often required long round-trip journeys. Sunday was out because many people were in church, and Wednesday was farmers market day. Tuesday seemed like the best fit.
More recently, some lawmakers have proposed moving Election Day to a weekend or making it a national holiday. Supporters say the current schedule often forces people to take time off work to vote, and making Election Day a day off for everyone would boost turnout. (As of 2023, 12 states and Puerto Rico already make Election Day a paid day off for state employees; Kentucky also does so, but only in presidential election years.)
Election Day around the world
Democracies that typically hold national elections on …
Note: The Czech Republic and Suriname are not shown because they have different election procedures. Data is based on 106 countries classified as democracies and includes some fully self-governing territories whose sovereign status is disputed.
Source: Pew Research Center analysis.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Election Day around the world
Democracies that typically hold national elections on …
| Democracy | Election day | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Albania | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Andorra | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Ordinary weekday | Americas |
| Argentina | Saturday or Sunday | Americas |
| Armenia | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Australia | Saturday or Sunday | Asia-Pacific |
| Austria | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Bahamas | Ordinary weekday | Americas |
| Barbados | Ordinary weekday | Americas |
| Belgium | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Belize | Ordinary weekday | Americas |
| Bhutan | Ordinary weekday | Asia-Pacific |
| Bolivia | Saturday or Sunday | Americas |
| Botswana | Weekday designated as national holiday | Africa |
| Brazil | Saturday or Sunday | Americas |
| Bulgaria | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Canada | Ordinary weekday | Americas |
| Cape Verde | Saturday or Sunday | Africa |
| Chile | Saturday or Sunday | Americas |
| Colombia | Saturday or Sunday | Americas |
| Costa Rica | Saturday or Sunday | Americas |
| Croatia | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Cyprus | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Czech Republic* | Other | Europe |
| Denmark | Ordinary weekday | Europe |
| Dominica | Ordinary weekday | Americas |
| Dominican Republic | Saturday or Sunday | Americas |
| East Timor | Saturday or Sunday | Asia-Pacific |
| Ecuador | Saturday or Sunday | Americas |
| Estonia | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Fiji | Weekday designated as national holiday | Asia-Pacific |
| Finland | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| France | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Germany | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Ghana | Saturday or Sunday | Africa |
| Greece | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Grenada | Ordinary weekday | Americas |
| Guyana | Weekday designated as national holiday | Americas |
| Hungary | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Iceland | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| India | Ordinary weekday | Asia-Pacific |
| Ireland | Ordinary weekday | Europe |
| Israel | Weekday designated as national holiday | Middle East |
| Italy | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Jamaica | Ordinary weekday | Americas |
| Japan | Saturday or Sunday | Asia-Pacific |
| Kiribati | Ordinary weekday | Asia-Pacific |
| Kosovo | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Latvia | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Lesotho | Weekday designated as national holiday | Africa |
| Liberia | Ordinary weekday | Africa |
| Liechtenstein | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Lithuania | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Luxembourg | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Malawi | Weekday designated as national holiday | Africa |
| Malaysia | Saturday or Sunday | Asia-Pacific |
| Malta | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Marshall Islands | Ordinary weekday | Asia-Pacific |
| Mauritius | Saturday or Sunday | Africa |
| Micronesia, Federated States | Ordinary weekday | Asia-Pacific |
| Moldova | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Monaco | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Mongolia | Weekday designated as national holiday | Asia-Pacific |
| Montenegro | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Namibia | Weekday designated as national holiday | Africa |
| Nauru | Saturday or Sunday | Asia-Pacific |
| Nepal | Weekday designated as national holiday | Asia-Pacific |
| Netherlands | Ordinary weekday | Europe |
| New Zealand | Saturday or Sunday | Asia-Pacific |
| North Macedonia | Weekday designated as national holiday | Europe |
| Northern Cyprus | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Norway | Ordinary weekday | Europe |
| Palau | Ordinary weekday | Asia-Pacific |
| Panama | Saturday or Sunday | Americas |
| Paraguay | Saturday or Sunday | Americas |
| Peru | Saturday or Sunday | Americas |
| Philippines | Weekday designated as national holiday | Asia-Pacific |
| Poland | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Portugal | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Romania | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Samoa | Weekday designated as national holiday | Asia-Pacific |
| San Marino | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Sao Tome and Principe | Saturday or Sunday | Africa |
| Senegal | Saturday or Sunday | Africa |
| Seychelles | Saturday or Sunday | Africa |
| Slovakia | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Slovenia | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Solomon Islands | Weekday designated as national holiday | Asia-Pacific |
| South Africa | Weekday designated as national holiday | Africa |
| South Korea | Weekday designated as national holiday | Asia-Pacific |
| Spain | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Sri Lanka | Ordinary weekday | Asia-Pacific |
| St. Kitts and Nevis | Ordinary weekday | Americas |
| St. Lucia | Ordinary weekday | Americas |
| St. Vincent and the Grenadines | Ordinary weekday | Americas |
| Suriname** | Other | Americas |
| Sweden | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Switzerland | Saturday or Sunday | Europe |
| Taiwan | Saturday or Sunday | Asia-Pacific |
| Tonga | Ordinary weekday | Asia-Pacific |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Ordinary weekday | Americas |
| Tuvalu | Ordinary weekday | Asia-Pacific |
| United Kingdom | Ordinary weekday | Europe |
| United States | Ordinary weekday | Americas |
| Uruguay | Saturday or Sunday | Americas |
| Vanuatu | Weekday designated as national holiday | Asia-Pacific |
* The Czech Republic typically holds elections over a 24-hour period from Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon.
** Suriname holds elections on a fixed date: May 25, which happened to fall on a Sunday in the most recent election year.
Note: The Czech Republic and Suriname are not shown because they have different election procedures. Data is based on 106 countries classified as democracies and includes some fully self-governing territories whose sovereign status is disputed.
Source: Pew Research Center analysis.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
As it stands, the United States is one of 28 democratic countries that routinely holds national elections on non-holiday weekdays. By contrast, 60 democracies typically hold elections on Saturdays or Sundays. (Then there’s the Czech Republic, which typically holds elections over a 24-hour period from Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon.) Sixteen other democracies hold elections on weekdays but declare them public holidays.
Some countries hold elections on a fixed date instead of a set day of the week. Suriname, for instance, has held its general election on May 25 every five years since 2000. Its most recent election, in 2025, happened to fall on a Sunday, but that was by chance rather than by deliberate choice.
