Date of the referendum

70. Even more than in parliamentary legislative procedures, those which lead to a referendum should allow for enough time for thorough reflection. Therefore, it is advisable that the process lasts at least several months prior to the vote, not including the time dedicated to the collection of signatures in the case of popular initiatives. The absolute minimum period between calling a referendum and polling day should be four weeks, and the campaign period must not be shorter than for regular elections (point III.9.a). On the other side, authorities should not indefinitely delay the holding of a referendum, in particular in order to prevent the adoption of a popular initiative. Thus, the law should provide for a maximum period between the submission of signatures for a referendum or a popular initiative and the vote (point III.9.b).

71. While the simultaneous holding of elections and referendums can be expedient from a practical point of view, confusion should be avoided between the issues at stake in an election and in a referendum. In some cases, differences in suffrage rights in elections and referendums may add to confusion. For those reasons, the guidelines recommend not to hold elections and referendums on the same day if the referendum is about the institution facing election (point III.9.c).