Petition · Cabinet Office

Modernise UK elections with mandatory preferential, weekend voting

Closed 39 signatures

What the petition asks

We think the UK's electoral system is embarrassingly outdated. We're one of the few developed democracies still clinging to first-past-the-post
We propose a system of preferential voting in which people could rank candidates without "wasting" votes on tactical choices. We think mandatory voting (like Australia's ≈90% turnout) means politicians must appeal to everyone, not just those who show up. You could still spoil your ballot. In addition to this, we think weekend elections would stop forcing people to choose between democracy and work. We think it is time to modernise what we feel is a Victorian-era system.

Timeline

4 Nov 2025 Petition opened for signatures
4 May 2026 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 39
Status Closed
Department Cabinet Office
Opened 4 Nov 2025
Closed 4 May 2026

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 22 Aug 2026.