A 2018 Pew survey found that the majority of Americans (65%) would be in favor of turning Election Day into a national holiday that includes 71% of Democratic-leaning voters and 59% of Republican-leaning voters. Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. Countries that have weekend or holiday elections do tend to have better turnout overall. Disclaimer: Dates and Events correct at time of printing but may change without our knowledge. In 2007, the country held the world's first general Internet election. OK, so why Tuesday? The U.S. House of Representatives just passed H.R. Holidays, law.cornell.edu (accessed Sep. 30, 2019), Matthew Haag, "Mitch McConnell Calls Push to Make Election Day a Holiday a Democratic Power Grab," nytimes.com, Jan. 31, 2019, Drew DeSilver, "U.S. Trails Most Developed Countries in Voter Turnout, pewresearch.org, May 21, 2018, Gustavo Lpez and Antonio Flores, "Dislike of Candidates or Campaign Issues Was Most Common Reason for Not Voting in 2016, pewresearch.org, June 1, 2017, Beau C. Tremitiere, "Election Day Should Be a National Holiday, cnbc.com, July 5, 2016, York Dispatch Editorial Board, "Editorial: On Voting, GOP Takes a Holiday from its Senses, yorkdispatch.com, Feb. 1, 2019, Tacey Rychter, "How Compulsory Voting Works: Australians Explain," nytimes.com, Nov. 5, 2018, Archon Fung and Jane Mansbridge, "Lets Vote, Party and Celebrate American Democracy on a New Holiday Called Citizen Day, usatoday.com, Oct. 26, 2018, Thomas MacMillan, "This Might Be the Best Idea for Turning out More Voters in U.S. Elections, nymag.com, July 8, 2017, Drew Desilver, "Weekday Elections Set the U.S. apart from Many Other Advanced Democracies, pewresearch.org, Nov. 6, 2018, Kathy Frankovic, "St. Patricks Day Not So Popular - Americans Would Rather Election Day a Holiday, today.yougov.com, Mar. Proponents say the Electoral College ensures everyone selects the president. [12], The idea that voting should be a celebration, not a chore is one argument for turning Election Day into a national holiday, according to Archon Fung, PhD, and Jane Mansbridge, PhD, professors at the Harvard Kennedy School. [ 18][ 19] Con 1 We are the only advanced democracy that makes it deliberately difficult for people to vote. States such as Georgia and Iowa already have passed restrictive measures and many others appear poised to do the same thing. But it is not a federal holiday. According to the Pew Research Center, of the thirty-six nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the U.S. is one of nine that votes on a week day, and one of seven that doesn't designate election day a national holiday. It would take an act of Congress to make Election Day a national holiday, and there is currently a bill proposing to designate "Democracy Day" as a national election holiday before a special committee. 20, 2018, Annie McDonald, "Ensuring Access to Election Day for All, bppj.berkely.edu, Nov. 6, 2018, Suzanne Lucas, "No, Election Day Should Not Be a Federal Holiday, inc.com, Oct. 24, 2016, Kenneth Quinnell, "Know Your Rights: State Laws on Employee Time off to Vote, aflicio.org, Nov. 5, 2016, Osita Nwanevu, "Maybe Making Election Day a National Holiday Wouldnt Really Work, slate.com, Nov. 3, 2016, Abigail Hess, "A Record 44% of US Employers Will Give Their Workers Paid Time off to Vote This Year, cnbc.com, Oct. 31, 2018, Make Time to Vote, homepage, maketimetovote.org (accessed Sep. 24, 2019), Rose Marcario, "Time to Vote, patagonia.com, Sep. 24, 2018, Danielle Root and Liz Kennedy, "Increasing Voter Participation in America, americanprogress.org, July 11, 2018, Kelly Born, "Increasing Voter Turnout: What, If Anything, Can Be Done?, ssir.org, Apr. Britain, after all, developed its political institutions pretty gradually, so there was no real "Bastille Day" moment that defines the modern nation. 1, which adds a new paid holiday for federal employees every other year. Skip Navigation 1. This is partially due to the influence of Protestantism, which historically set restrictions on activities other than church-going during the Sabbath (usually considered as falling on a Sunday). Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters. Some countries, about 27 of them, make voting compulsory. While no state has proposed reinstating the literacy tests, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses that effectively ended the burst of African-American franchise during Reconstruction, todays efforts to disenfranchise minority voters are similarly unsubtle. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey agrees. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Even people youd expect to know, like politicians, have been stumped by this very question. We are very proud that we are mentioned in the Bible. Would making Election Day a federal holiday increase voter turnout and celebrate democracy? Compared to other developed countries, America's voter turnout rate is pretty sad. Pew also found that certain issues motivate voters more than others: "health care, poverty and education are the top motivators for political engagement." It is very, very hard to change core American traditions.. Rather than make it a national holiday where inevitably people will still have to work, change election day to election week. There is no fixed election day for general elections, although since 1986 every general election has been held on Sunday. An ordinary act of Congress could move Election Day to a Saturday or make it a holiday, thereby giving more people more . Such low voter turnout rates in the United States have various reasons why many Americans decide not to vote, but one main reason is not giving them time to vote and cast their ballots. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. Opponents say it allows only a few states to select the president. Vote.org has called on Amazon, Disney, McDonald's and others to offer paid time off for employees to vote and or work the polls. "And we actually have more options than ever before.". 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those . Take, for example, Bhutan, which every celebrates the anniversary of Ugyen Wangchuck's 1907 election as the nation's first hereditary king (yes, you read that correctly), but not its 1949 independence. President Obama likes the idea of changing the way or the day Americans vote. Tuesday was selected because it was the most convenient. While these provisions represent major steps in the right direction, they are not enough. Unlike Singapore, South Korea and Israel, Canada has not declared election days as public holidays. With those options early in-person voting and more voter awareness on how to vote by mail voter turnout appears to be trending upward. Election Day is a state holiday in Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York. Opponents say kids arent mature enough to vote. Approximately two million people who work for the federal government would be given a paid day off, and private companies might follow suit. So, since this effort does not receive bipartisan support, it is difficult to enact.. Runoffs take place on the last Sunday of the same October. While making Election Day a national holiday or moving it to the weekend would by no means be a cure-all, it could be used in conjunction with other strategies like automatic voter registration (nearly 87% of registered voters participated in the 2016 election), restoring voting rights for formerly incarcerated people and removing other barriers such as voter ID requirements and voter roll purges that often disenfranchise people of color. But while experts say such a scheme is unlikely to fly in the US, making it easier for people to vote would appear to be a step in the right direction. For other uses, see. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. In fact, these voters may be more likely to have to work as a result of a federal election holiday, where they may have had time off previously on a random Tuesday in November. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, 2020 North Macedonian parliamentary election, "THE ELECTORAL CODE OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA. To make Election Day a national holiday, it would take an act of Congress, and so far, no bills proposing such action have passed. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Because Saturday and Sunday are Sabbath days for devout Jews and Christians, elections would probably have to be held over the two-day period creating a need for more poll workers and a process for securing ballots overnight, Victoria Shineman, a University of Pittsburgh political science professor, wrote in The Washington Post. An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation.Many countries commemorate their independence from a colonial empire.. Not all countries mark independence as a national holiday. But Gupta said that there's been a "lack of political will" to give the initiative some momentum. Tuesday is Election Day, but only in some parts of the country will voters get the day off to cast their ballots. But they never go far and die in committee without a vote. These changes would send a strong rebuke to those who are attempting to scale back voting rights and make it more difficult for African-Americans and Latinos to vote. The founding fathers at first only granted white, male property owners the right to vote, so the expansion of voting rights has taken some time. ProCon.org. [36]. "Election day should be a national holiday" is a claim of policy because we are discussing a policy which searches a solution for the presented argument. The US ranks 26th out of 32 for voter turnout among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. Whether accurate or not, elected officials likely think that making it easier to vote would advantage one party at the expense of the other party.. a list of voting rights provisions he would support. Should the United States use the Electoral College in presidential elections? Research has found that higher trust in the government and democratic process leads to greater voter turnout. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. However, those numbers may be attributed to a combination of factors not solely because their elections occur on non-work days. As a holiday, that means several millions of people would have the day off from work or school, making it way . For more on the debate about making election day a national holiday, visit ProCon.org. ", ProCon.org. Should the United States Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections? [16]. Passing voting rights reform will be a crucial component of this response, as would making Election Day a national holiday. February 26, 2023, 5:06 AM. The U.S. ranks 26th out of 32 for voter among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. Consider this: Even if Election Day were moved to a weekend or turned into a national holiday, retail and service industry employees would still need to work. Fourth Sunday of October immediately before the end of the current mandates. Why Election Day is Held on a Tuesday in November in the U.S. A Boatload of Ballots: Midterm Voter Turnout Hit 50-Year High, Estonia's i-voting: more secure, more popular, Macedonia referendum: Low voter turnout puts country's name change at risk, What Voting and Elections Look Like Around the World, X Marks the Choice: Voting Methods around the World, Defense Language and National Security Education Office. 2020, Virginia. Elections Project, which is close to the complete voter . The result is voter turnout rates of 72.3% and 77.2% respectively, which is 26-32% higher than the United States. The pros and cons of the felon voting debate include arguments about the social contract, voting while in prison, and paying debts. Instead, lawmakers could simply move nearby Veterans Day to Election Day, emphasizing that voting is both a service to the country and a celebration of the rights and freedoms for which our servicemembers fight. Currently, 22 countries around the world have mandatory voting, and ten of those countries enforce the policy, including Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Peru, and Switzerland. Read More, Election Day is a holiday in Puerto Rico. 2) Most other countries are shaped by relatively recent revolutions. Many other democracies make election day a holiday and they all have higher voter turnout than we do. In many countries, general elections are always held on a Saturday or Sunday, to enable as many voters as possible to participate; while in other countries elections are always held on a weekday. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Elections to the European Parliament take place over a period of four days (i.e., Thursday through to Sunday), according to the election days of the EU members states (as listed above). These efforts challenge fundamental values of American democracy and constitute a serious threat to the one person, one vote principle. But none of those states have considerably high turnout compared to those where it isn't a holiday. Right now, federal elections are always held on Tuesdays, because farmers in the 1840s needed multiple days to get to the . And the empire has been pretty consistently breaking apart over the last half century Scotland is maybe next so it's not like there is a national unification to celebrate. Mail-in voting starts 1 month before polls open. Here are five reasons why Election Day should be a national holiday. Its hard to say. Rose Marcario, CEO, stated, demonstrating your companys commitment to voting will reinforce how essential it is that every eligible voter shows up. South Africa's is from the first democratic elections, in 1994. Elections to the Bundestag may be held on another public holiday. National and Festival Holiday Act, which is applicable to all establishments in the country, irrespective of under which law it is formed it is mandatory to grant leave on following 3 days, i.e. Election Day as a holiday is something that exists in other countries, but not in most places in the U.S. It's an issue that comes up a lot, but never really gets much serious public debate. Experts told CBS News that it's no coincidence this is occurring in a year when Americans have more time and more ways to vote than ever before. Last modified on October 1, 2020. Younger generations are also more likely to participate in political discussions online, which shows that a move towards digitizing the political and voting processes may not be too far off. Countries like France, Germany, and India all recognize Election Day as a national holiday or hold elections on the weekend in order to increase voter turnout. History of Election Day Concentrating voters into a single day risks congesting polling places, even more so than some already are. One major reason: It comes down to tradition, Troy said. Last week his office released a list of voting rights provisions he would support. Litigation pending before the Supreme Court this term in Brnovich v. DNC, however, threatens to undermine this rule. Traditionally elections are held over two days, starting on a Friday afternoon and ending the following Saturday afternoon. Monday in early September. Regional Belgian public holidays during 2023. Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. I'll look into this some more and may change it on the map. List two to three ways. Turning Election Day into a national holiday would instill a sense of pride in all citizens, knowing they have the ability to cast a ballot regardless of work. 26 th January (Republic Day), 15 th August (Independence Day) and 2 nd October (Gandhi Jayanti). Incidentally, Australia routinely reaches more than 90. According to the country's website detailing their "digital society," online voting has soared from 1.9% in 2005 to 30.5% in 2015. And even a number of the blue countries, such as Australia and Canada, are actually the product of colonialism. While the Republican efforts are shrouded in their supposed desire to protect the integrity of elections, there is no evidence of significant voter fraud in recent elections, including presidential election in 2020. Usually Wednesday. And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who don't to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Tuesday was chosen because it was most convenient for farmers traveling by horse and buggy at the time. ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. In Estonia, a national ID card (required for every citizen in the country) can be used to vote remotely. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. In many other democracies around the world, national elections are held on the weekend or are a federal holiday. https://www.britannica.com/question/Should-election-day-be-made-a-national-holiday. This year, Election . 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says, Battleground Tracker: Tight race in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Lindsey Graham appears before Georgia grand jury, House Jan. 6 committee is having conversations with Justice Department, Georgia grand jury investigating Trump wants testimony from Giuliani, Graham, Trump election interference grand jury to hear from Raffensperger, DHS IG says Wolf changed intel report on Russian interference in 2020. TOP QUESTION "[Early and at-home voting] helps prevent bottlenecks for election administrators because it 'flattens the curve' for when ballots are cast by large numbers of voters," Perez said. Accessed February 21, 2023. https://www.procon.org/headlines/election-day-national-holiday-top-3-pros-and-cons/, potential benefits and difficulties of changing election day, election day should not be a national holiday. And in Australia, there is a fine. [8], In the 2016 presidential election, 55.7% of the American voting-age population cast a ballot. Not only would making Election Day a federal holiday increase voter turnout among Americans, which is something that politicians and citizens in general complain about often, but it . Most National Days are fixed, exceptions to this are shown below. Read more: The evolution of American voting rights in 242 years shows how far we've come and how far we still have to go. More people would vote if they had more time to cast their ballots Furthermore, celebrating our democracy publicly would send the message that we value each others citizenship as much as we value honoring past presidents. [13], Donald Green, PhD, Burgess Professor of Political Science at Columbia University, found that nonpartisan community parties celebrating Election Day in 2005, 2006, and 2016 increased voter participation between 2.6 percentage points and about 4 percentage points. Incidentally, Australia routinely reaches more than 90 percent voter turnout, compared to the United States, where average voter turnout in presidential elections since 1965 has been only 54%. It would give people time to vote. [3] In 1800, 83% of the American labor force was agrarian, but today only 11% of total US employment is agriculture-related. All 435 representatives were up for re-election, as well as a third ofsenators, and countless elections for governors, mayors, state legislators, and local government across the country. Making Election Day a holiday would not necessarily involve adding a new holiday, which employers might resistparticularly following the addition of Juneteenth as a national holiday last week. Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? Think of things such as voter ID laws, lowering the voting age, and abolishing the Electoral College. Proponents say teens are knowledgeable enough to vote. Election Day isn't a national holiday in the US, but some people think it should be. An additional day off school would prove to be problematic for individuals who may not have other readily accessible forms of childcare. [24], People who have already suffered significant disenfranchisement, such as women and people of color, are more likely to be working those low-income jobs that wouldnt get the time off to vote even on a national holiday. So the question of how you label Ireland goes back to which holiday you consider its national day. This is the day we cast ballots to select public officials from local to the national government. Other countries take heroic efforts to ensure that people can vote if they desire. [17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. Read more: You can take time off from work to vote in 30 states here's the full list. If Election Day were a national holiday, how would you ensure hourly and low-income workers would get a chance to vote? Not all of these marked the end of colonialism (for example, Austria's signifies the withdrawal of foreign militaries after World War II and the declaration of neutrality) but the vast majority do. Vanita Gupta, CEO of the Leadership Conference on Human and Civil Rights, is working to increase voter participation and decrease voter disenfranchisement. Let us make it as easy as we can," Sanders told CBS News. Explain your answer. Image 2. It's a reminder of turmoil of the last century a very short span in historical terms and how deeply its events influence the world today. However, for the most part, most countries vote in person at the voting booth, and while countries may alter the length of election periods andthe equipment used in voting from election to election, it still tends to have many of the same features. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? 12, 2019, Ceylan Pumphrey, "Do Businesses Have to Give Federal Holidays Like Presidents Day Off?, blogs.findlaw.com, Feb. 14, 2018, Department of Labor, "Holiday Pay, dol.gov (accessed Sep. 23, 2019), Peggy Emch, "Is Holiday Pay Required by Law?, timesheets.com, 2013, Fast Casual, "Study: Why Hourly Workers Forced to Work Multiple Jobs, fastcasual.com, Apr. October 26, 2020 / 10:57 AM And there is no better way to secure democracy than to ensure that everyone has not only the right to vote, but also the meaningful opportunity to cast their ballots. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. Of the nonvoters surveyed by the US Census Bureau about the 2008 presidential election, the 2012 presidential election, and numerous other elections, the most commonly cited reason for not voting was being too busy or having conflicting work schedules. Third Monday of October every four years, or after Parliament is dissolved by the. The U.S. lags scores of other countries in election participation, ranking 26th out of 32 nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), according to the Pew Research Center. Declaring Election Day a holiday has been proposed various times in Congress; it's a popular idea. Most others are not so recent, but still not so old: Taiwan's, for example, goes back to a 1911 uprising. "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons." This article is about the general term "election day" worldwide. For rest of the festival holidays the declaration . For starters, the United States is rather unique in that it schedules its election day on a weekday, let alone a Tuesday. It commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a reverend and civil . There's nothing that would stop voters here from treating a Democracy Day like just another day off.". The name change required at least 50% voter participation, and opponents to the name change advocated not voting at all rather than voting against the measure. Sign up to receive a weekly email update on forthcoming public holidays around the world in your inbox every Sunday. The COVID-19 pandemic convinced. From 2021, the first Sunday of June. [1], Over time, voting rights expanded from only white, male landowners age 21 and older to include women and people of color, as well as citizens age 18 and up, resulting in a dramatic increase in the voting-eligible population and a shift in voter demographics. These include national, state, and local government representatives at all levels up to the president. Many Americans know that Election Day is a Tuesday, but few know why. As of mid-May Republicans in 48 states have introduced 389 bills that would reduce the hours polls are open; forbid people from eating or drinking while waiting in line to vote; close voter registration on Sundays, when Black churches traditionally have organized their members to register and vote; repeal no excuse absentee voting; and create a long list of other barriers to voting. Here is the relevant passage from Acts 28: ], ProCon.org, "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons,", ProCon.org, "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons. For example, Australia typically has a turnout in the 90 percent or more range, and other nations such as Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Mexico achieve very high turnout via universal voting and time off for voting.
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