Polling Day is on Nov 19, a Saturday. A perfect day for eligible Malaysians to exercise their civic duty on a day spiritually devoted to leisurely pursuits.
Saturday is generally the day off for most working residents, with those in conservative states having their last day of relaxation before returning to the office the next day.
No griping then from politicians and activists exhorting employers to give the day, or half-day, off to employees to vote.
Knowing it is a leisurely Saturday, Malaysians will reserve precious hours for travelling, transporting, parking and queuing just to calmly scribble "X" on ballot papers.
The same is offered to Malaysians overseas, who would have mailed in their votes in time for tabulating. Until 10pm thereabouts on polling night, anxiety will heighten as voters excessively browse news portals and social media sites, preferably credulous and reliable, for speculative results first and official announcements later, as well as analyses of the implications of the results, specifically on which coalition will race through the first-past-the-post line to form a new administration.
Or will there be complex horse-trading first? Of course, there will also be lookouts for victors in swing states, battle royales and hot seats, plus stunning underdog victories or guaranteed-to-win defeats.
As we initially observed, the previous 14 general elections (between 1959 and 2018) were held in April, May, August (thrice), March (twice), July, October (once) and November (now twice). The fact-obsessed will tabulate the polling day of Saturdays increasing from seven to eight, with Mondays remaining at three, and Wednesdays and Sundays both at two.
Everyone's favourite speculative date that polling day will fall on a November day was spot on. But the Election Commission fixing polling day much later in the month, preceded by a stretched two-week campaign? Hardly anybody saw it coming.
The general punditry thinking was early polls by Nov 5 or 6, or the latest by Nov 12 or 13, to avoid impending floods. Thus, EC's decision cuts awfully close to the burst of the monsoon's major floods. A vigil then on the weather forecasts.
Animated politicians, who weeks ago proclaimed determination to weather the monsoon and wade the floods if polling falls on late November, are now put on notice.
Their impractical wish is no longer far-fetched. Contestants will perhaps deploy sampans, dinghies, catamarans, canoes, and even amphibious crafts, to ferry voters.
Providence to Nov 19 is that on the next day, the Fifa World Cup in Qatar opens. So voters-turned-football fanatics can rejoice in this one-month binging extravaganza.
For many voters and fans though, the World Cup also assuages the gloominess of their favourite candidates, or parties, slumping badly in GE15.