It skews the results towards christian-backed candidates - Sunday mass gets people out of their houses, clergy reminds them to vote and at least hints who they should vote for and they do on their way home.
I have never heard of that being an issue in my country where it is a constitutional requirement for elections to be held on Sundays or public holidays.
It is an issue in Poland.
Close to 30% of the population is at Sunday mass and even if priests were perfectly neutral (and they very much aren’t) simply people deciding “I’m already out, I might as well vote” does make an impact on the outcome. Every time liberals and socialists score an election win is after electorate mobilization that counters that.
BTW I agree that voting should happen on a statutory holiday, but it shouldn’t be one associated with a majority religion.
It skews the results towards christian-backed candidates - Sunday mass gets people out of their houses, clergy reminds them to vote and at least hints who they should vote for and they do on their way home.
I have never heard of that being an issue in my country where it is a constitutional requirement for elections to be held on Sundays or public holidays.
It is an issue in Poland. Close to 30% of the population is at Sunday mass and even if priests were perfectly neutral (and they very much aren’t) simply people deciding “I’m already out, I might as well vote” does make an impact on the outcome. Every time liberals and socialists score an election win is after electorate mobilization that counters that.
BTW I agree that voting should happen on a statutory holiday, but it shouldn’t be one associated with a majority religion.