EMQs: Should we vote on weekends?

EMQs: Should we vote on weekends?

From Political Currency by Persephonica

May 18, 2026 · 32 min · Season 1 · Episode 285

About this episode

The episode discusses the tradition of weekday voting, the implications of recent local elections, and various political debates including energy transition and assisted dying.

Last week’s local elections saw votes counted during the Friday to save costs, and inspired one listener to ask Ed Balls and George Osborne why that isn’t always the case. He also wondered why we don’t vote at weekends like other European countries. The pair explain the historical roots of the tradition and the benefits of weekday votes and overnight counts for general elections.  Plus they recall their own experiences as commentators during the last 3 elections.  They then address the divisive policies and language seen in the Greens and Reform campaigns, and whether this is a sign of the centre losing ground or an opportunity to seize. They also take a question from an Australian listener, who wonders if we’re moving too fast in the energy transition. Finally, a listener returns to the assisted dying debate from a few weeks ago and proposes their own case for the legislation. We also hear the pair debating the possibility of immortality… We love hearing from you, so please don’t forget to send all your EMQs to questions@politicalcurrency and make sure to include a voice note of your question or send a question to our social media handles: 👉 X 👉 Instagram 👉 TikTok…

People in this episode

Hosts: Ed Balls, George Osborne

Topics covered

  • voting practices
  • local elections
  • energy transition
  • assisted dying
  • political commentary

Keywords

  • voting
  • local elections
  • energy transition
  • assisted dying
  • politics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Greens, Reform

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