Kyrgyzstan has proposed making presidential and parliamentary election days paid days off. However, only citizens who cast ballots would be eligible for the benefit, according to 24.kg.
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The draft law has already been submitted for public discussion. It was introduced by Marlen Mamataliev, speaker of the Jogorku Kenesh, Kyrgyzstan’s parliament.
Under the proposal, presidential and parliamentary elections would be held on Wednesdays instead of Sundays, as is currently the case. Election day would also become an official paid day off.
The proposed legislation would:
• Add election day to the list of official rest days, alongside weekends and vacation days.
• Grant employees a paid day off if they participate in voting.
• Prohibit employers from requiring employees to work on election day, except in cases specified by labor law.
• Require employers to provide double pay and an additional day off if an employee is required to work on election day.
• Count election day as a full calendar day toward an individual’s social insurance record, with insurance contributions paid from the republican budget.
Payment tied to voter participation
The draft legislation includes a key provision: only citizens who actually vote would receive compensation for election day. If a person does not vote and lacks a valid excuse, the day would remain unpaid.
Reason for the proposal
The authors of the initiative say the changes are needed because of low voter turnout.
Notably, voter turnout in the 2025 parliamentary elections was 36.9%. By comparison, turnout in 2021 was 34.6%.
As it stands, the next presidential election in the Kyrgyz Republic is scheduled for the last Sunday of January 2027, when the term of incumbent Sadyr Japarov is set to expire.
