According to the proposal, presidential and parliamentary elections would be held on Wednesday instead of Sunday, as is currently the case. Election day would become an official day off with preserved wages.

Election day would be added to the list of rest time types, alongside weekends and holidays.

All employees would receive a paid day off if they participate in voting.

Employers would be prohibited from requiring employees to work on election day, except in cases provided for by labor law.

If an employee is required to work, they must be paid double wages and granted an additional day off.

Election day would count as a full day of insurance record, with social contributions covered by the state budget.

The draft law also includes an important condition: only citizens who actually vote would receive payment for the day. Those who do not vote without a valid reason would not be paid for that day.

The authors of the initiative cite low voter turnout as the main reason for the proposed changes. According to data, only 36.9 percent of voters participated in the 2025 parliamentary elections, while turnout was 34.6 percent in 2021.

The explanatory note states that holding elections on Sundays does not ensure sufficient civic participation, as many people prefer to use their only day off for rest, travel, or family matters.

The Central Election Commission Chairman Tynchtyk Shainazarov previously proposed changing election day from Sunday to Wednesday.