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But they never go far and die in committee without a vote. Whether accurate or not, elected officials likely think that making it easier to vote would advantage one party traditionally it is believed to help the Democrats at the expense of the other party, the GOP, said Vincent Hutchings, a University of Michigan political science professor. The answer dates back to 1845, when Congress passed a law declaring that federal elections would be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. For more on the debate about making election day a national holiday, visit ProCon.org. Elections Held on Tuesdays?, britannica.com (accessed Sep. 30, 2019), Evan Andrews, "Election 1010: Why Do We Vote on a Tuesday in November?, history.com, Aug. 31, 2018, Grace Panetta and Olivia Reaney, "Today Is National Voter Registration Day. Is Election Day a Holiday in Your State? | RepresentUs Veterans Day typically is about one week after Election Day so this would involve little disruption in terms of job schedules and monthly routines. ", "An overall look at Vietnam's election law", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Election_day&oldid=1136894393. "With the variety of challenges that election officials face, [making Election Day a holiday] is well down on the list of those things that need to be addressed," Becker said. Most National Days are fixed, exceptions to this are shown below. Elections Project, which is close to the complete voter . Approximately two million people who work for the federal government would be given a paid day off, and private companies might follow suit. On U.S. Election Day, A Look At How Others Vote : NPR People literally cannot get to the polling booth because it may close at 7 o'clock and they're working later. It commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a reverend and civil . And. Think about that: In most of the world, the sense of national identity is shaped by the act of cutting, or in some cases violently throwing off, the chains of colonialism. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. He thinks the increased options afforded by early and mail-in voting could be undermined by making Election Day a holiday, creating "a solution in search of a problem.". ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. Election Day is observed on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, taking place on November 7 this year. Newsela | Should Election Day become a national holiday? Elections are federal holidays in Singapore, which, when combined with mandatory voting, resulted in a voter turnout of 93.6% for the 2015 election of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. 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. Why Election Day Isn't a National Holiday in the US - Business Insider Even among the nine weekday voting countries, South Korea's and Israel's voters take a day off work on the day of the election to ensure higher electoral participation. ], ProCon.org, "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons,", ProCon.org, "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons. Common reasons for a certain day are the date on which a state or country achieved its independence, or the date of the country's patron saint day. "Election Day as a national holiday would mean things like perhaps reduced schedules for public transportation, schools being closed, hourly workers perhaps being incentivized to work more with time and a half. According to Pew Research data, US voter turnout trails most developed countries. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Should the United States use the Electoral College in presidential elections? Theyare still considerably higher than in the United States, which typically sees about 65% on average turn out to vote for major elections. Public holidays in Belgium in 2022 and 2023 | Expatica [15] Israel and South Korea make national elections a holiday to avoid economic hardship for voters. Should election day in the United States be made a national holiday Election Day should be a 'day off,' U.S. President Joe Biden says 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. Most National Days are fixed, exceptions to this are shown below. Elections are federal holidays in Singapore, which, when combined with mandatory voting, resulted in a voter turnout of 93.6% for the 2015 election of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. So, focusing voting efforts to one day doesn't do enough to accommodate everyone, Becker argues. For rest of the festival holidays the declaration . OK, so why Tuesday? By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. Estonia is the only country to fully adopt online voting, but other countries, such as Australia, Canada, and Norway, have looked into pursuing it as an option in the future. There's nothing that would stop voters here from treating a Democracy Day like just another day off.". 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 1, which adds a new paid holiday for federal employees every other year. Should the United States Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections? 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. [14][35] In Australia, where voting is mandatory, elections are celebrated with parties and barbeques nationwide, resulting in turnout rates around 90%. For more on the debate about making election day a national holiday, visit ProCon.org. 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. An ordinary act of Congress could move Election Day to a Saturday or make it a holiday, thereby giving more people more . Here is the relevant passage from Acts 28: ProCon.org. Below are the proper citations for this page according to four style manuals (in alphabetical order): the Modern Language Association Style Manual (MLA), the Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago), the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), and Kate Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Turabian). Modern life operates around the clock. Passing voting rights reform will be a crucial component of this response, as would making Election Day a national holiday. Part of HuffPost Home & Living. 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. Think about it. In previous elections, that percentage was even higher. [8][15] A holiday for elections sidesteps the issue of a weekend election, which could conflict with religious obligations. Voter turnout in the U.S. is generally quite low, trailing behind that of other developed democracies around the world, according to another Pew study. The case for making Election Day an official holiday First published on October 26, 2020 / 10:57 AM. ", ProCon.org. Some countries, about 27 of them,make voting compulsory. A surprising map of the worlds national holidays (only two countries have no national day), Belarus sentences Nobel Peace laureate Ales Bialiatski to 10 years in jail, This is Bidens chance to press Scholz on Germanys rearmament, Why Russia and Ukraine are fighting over Bakhmut. Because of the pandemic, more U.S. voters are exploring alternatives to voting on Election Day, such as early voting and mail-in voting. Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey agrees. What other improvements could be made to voting and Election Day? Regional Belgian public holidays during 2023. Change often comes slowly, subtly. Mail-in voting starts 1 month before polls open. At the top of his list: making Election Day a national holiday. Image 2. These efforts challenge fundamental values of American democracy and constitute a serious threat to the one person, one vote principle. [ 18][ 19] Con 1 In the 2016 election, only 56% of voting-age Americans cast their ballots. It happens to be on the day the politicians themselves get elected. Declaring Election Day a holiday has been proposed various times in Congress; it's a popular idea. 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. If you make election day a federal holiday, youll have all the people who work in these types of jobs still having to work, being inundated with customers who have the day off and they wont have child care because the schools will be closed, Suzanne Lucas, who previously worked in human resources, wrote in a piece for Inc.com. Australia sees around 91%, and 94% in Singapore. [8], Among registered voters in the 2016 US presidential election, being too busy or having a conflicting schedule was the third-highest reason cited for not voting, accounting for 14% of registered voters who did not cast a vote (about 2.7 million people). That too is a reminder as to how new many of the ideas from that century, such as full enfranchisement and national self-determination, really are. 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 . For example, in Ecuador, only literate citizens between 18 and 65 are required to vote; those over 65 or who are not literateare not required. Early voting for the midterms varies by state. In India, for example, a polling place is required within two kilometers (about a mile) of every single person in the country of 1.4 billion. Why or why not? Voting Around the World - Home | CultureReady Omissions? The United States has held federal elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years since 1845. According to Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus, Australia adopted compulsory voting in 1924 after turnout there dropped to less than 60 percent in 1922. Newsweek subscription offers > "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. Start the discussion over on our Facebook page, and let us know about civic engagement in your town, state, or country! Lessons in How to Hold Elections", "GE2015: First time Polling Day falls on a Friday, but not first time polls held on a weekday", "180/2014 Z.z. Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. And in Australia, there is a fine. [18][19], Federal law doesnt require private employers to give employees paid federal holidays. a list of voting rights provisions he would support. The U.S. ranks 26th out of 32 for voter among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. But these days, Tuesdays are actually quite inconvenient for many Americans, particularly those who cant take time off work to cast their ballots a problem that disproportionately affects Black, Latino and lower-income voters. All federal elections take place the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. [31]. Election Day is a state holiday in Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York. Updates? Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard [28][29], Patagonia, an outdoor clothing retailer, paused operation on Nov. 6, 2018 so that all employees could vote. [14], Pew Research Center found that 71% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans support making Election Day a federal holiday. A large Democratic voting rights bill that would have made Election Day a national holiday collapsed in the Senate this year when two senators refused to join their own party in changing. Think of things such as voter ID laws, lowering the voting age, and abolishing the Electoral College. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. To look through the stats for voter turnout for other countries, you can visit the website for the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) and explore the data. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Washington's Birthday Memorial Day Flag Day Independence Day Constitution Day Election Day Veterans Day Bill of Rights Day Martin Luther King Jr. Day Martin Luther King, Jr. Day takes place on third Monday of January each year, near the time of Dr. King's birthday on January 15th. This article is about the general term "election day" worldwide. Have you experienced an election day in another country, or do you know how voting works in a place we haven't mentioned here? Is Election Day a national holiday? These people think it should be This . You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Update: Some readers think that Ireland should also be considered an outlier, as St. Patrick's Day is often considered its primary "national day" and is not really an independence or revolution day. Should Election Day be a national holiday? And even if it were a federal holiday, that wouldn't ensure that all voting-age Americans would have the day off. A Pew Research Center analysis finds that 27 of the 36 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development hold their national elections on the weekend, . Election officials in various states have predicted historic levels of turnout in 2020, with a chance to reach the highest ever. These changes would send the message that voting is not a privilege to be bought with job security and time to spare, but rather an essential responsibility every person ought to undertake. In the United States, it varies from state to state and even county to county, so the idea that one entire country might use the same voting method is actually pretty unique to Americans! In an interview with President Barack Obama in 2016, Dan Corey, editor-in-chief of Rutgers University's official student newspaper, The Daily Targum, asked Obama about what could be done to reverse the US's low voter turnout: The Daily Targum: "You have pointed out many times that voter turnout in the United States is very low, especially compared to other developed nations. During the 2016 presidential election, less than 56% of the estimated voting-age population in the US voted. In many other democracies around the world, national elections are held on the weekend or are a federal holiday. While countries like Belgium, Sweden, and Turkey saw more than 80% of their estimated voting-age population cast votes in recent elections, less than 56% of the estimated voting-age population. Corrections? The U.S. is one of only nine member nations that have weekday voting. Sunday: first Sunday of February for the President, Vice-President, and Legislative Assembly; second Sunday of February for municipal elections. In some of these countries, voting is compulsory, and in most of them, Election Day is a holiday. "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. 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. House Democrats introduced their first piece of legislation in the new Congress this week, an anti-corruption bill that proposes making Election Day a federal holiday and encourages . The result is voter turnout rates of 72.3% and 77.2% respectively, which is 26-32% higher than the United States. by country by date There is a "need to make voting more accessible, to make it more of a civic duty, to make sure that people don't have to choose between their job and their ability to cast the ballot are issues that are more prominent today than ever before," she told CBS News. Presidential elections are held every four years, in years divisible by four, while the elections to the . The U.S. House of Representatives just passed H.R. This article was published more than10 years ago. With those options early in-person voting and more voter awareness on how to vote by mail voter turnout appears to be trending upward. February 26, 2023, 5:06 AM. 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.However, some countries, or regions within a country, which hold elections on a weekday declare election day a public holiday. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 25, 2016, Chris Talgo, "Make Election Day a National Holiday? Opponents say kids arent mature enough to vote. Explain your answers. 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. To combat these efforts, lawmakers nationally have introduced HR1 (the John Lewis Act) and S1, which would enact a number of important provisions: improve ballot access, create nonpartisan redistricting commissions to reduce gerrymandering, provide automatic voter registration when people turn 18, allow at least 15 days of early voting,mandate that presidential candidates disclosure their federal tax returns, and require greater disclosure of so-called dark money campaign contributions. 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. Sunday. Compared to other developed countries, America's voter turnout rate is pretty sad. Consider, for example, the national days of France and Germany: the former marks the French revolution, in 1789, and the latter marks the German reunification in 1990. [1], An election day usually culminates in an election night when the results of the election are tallied and winners are announced.[2]. Sundays are the most common day for elections, but this is less true in the Anglosphere; Saturdays are used in New Zealand and Australia, and weekdays for the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. Tuesday was chosen because it was most convenient for farmers traveling by horse and buggy at the time. "If I had my way, and I think it is really important, every . To make Election Day a national holiday, it would take an act of Congress, and so far, no bills proposing such action have passed. Let us make it as easy as we can," Sanders told CBS News. As for Denmark, it has a national liberation day and some people celebrate international worker's day, but neither is a public holiday. However, those numbers may be attributed to a combination of factors not solely because their elections occur on non-work days. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. Compulsory voting does not necessarily guarantee 100% turnout rates, however, though they still see higher rates than countries which do not require it. 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those . Election day should be a national holidayCommentary - CNBC Such a change would mostly benefit white-collar workers instead of the lower-income workers its designed to help. ", "National Electoral Code Article 53 and 148", Report of the 2014 National Lawyers Guild Bolivian Election Observation Delegation, Voting hours for elections in EU Member States, "The Parliamentary Electoral System in Denmark", Consultation Report on Review of Electoral Arrangements, "India Elects 2019: The World's Largest Election, Explained", "Six Nations match at the centre of row over election date - Independent.ie", "With full term possible, Netanyahu may outlast Ben-Gurion (and Obama)", Confessionalism and Electoral Reform in Lebanon, "Voters reminded not to reveal voting intention at Sunday's polling", "Malaysia's election on a Wednesday favors PM, opposition says", "Elections in Mexico and the US: Comparisons and contrasts", "Law on Election of Councillors and Members of Parliament", "Election Days General Elections 1853-2011", "The main features of the Norwegian electoral system", "Tribunal Electoral de Panam convoca a elecciones generales de 2024", "Peru Can Give U.S. Ralph Northam signed into law a measure that, among other things, makes Election Day a state holiday in the commonwealth. 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. Other countries may only require it of certain people, and otherwise make it voluntary for others. About 54 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots in the 2012 presidential contest between Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney, according to the Pew Research Center. Others have suggested making Veterans Day (Nov. 11), which is already a paid national holiday, Election Day. Presented by:Defense Language and National Security Education Office, 60% of the eligible voting population vast a vote, looked at a few different methods of voting. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. Opponents say it allows only a few states to select the president. Rather than make it a national holiday where inevitably people will still have to work, change election day to election week. Elections to the Bundestag may be held on another public holiday. He says it's more important to spread voting out over a period of days and methods. [16]. Is Election Day a federal holiday? | The US Sun Will the party listen to them on the issues? [8], In the 2016 presidential election, 55.7% of the American voting-age population cast a ballot. But it is not a federal holiday. This is why election day is not a holiday in Canada - blogTO Politicians, most recently House Democrats in 2019, have also floated the idea of turning a weekday Election Day into a federal holiday, but to no avail. Making the presidential election a national holiday is another way to get people to the polls. Traditionally elections are held over two days, starting on a Friday afternoon and ending the following Saturday afternoon. But while . In some states where they don't have mail-in ballots, voting can take a lot of time out of the day. The types of workers least likely to reap the benefits of a federal holiday are those who already struggle to vote, Shineman noted. Is Election Day a federal holiday? Make Election Day a national holiday - Brookings Britain, after all, developed its political institutions pretty gradually, so there was no real "Bastille Day" moment that defines the modern nation. Why Isn't Election Day A National Holiday In The United States? - HuffPost Additionally, many of these individuals rely on school days as childcare for their children. Explain your answer. Usually Wednesday. 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. 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. Before that point, states could hold their presidential elections on any day within a certain 34-day window. President Obama likes the idea of changing the way or the day Americans vote. I think, to the best of my knowledge, it's something like $20. In the 2016 presidential election, 60% of the eligible voting population vast a vote; this year, a staggering 47.5%participated in the midterms, compared to 37% in 2014 and 41% in 2010, the years of other midterm elections. Interestingly, 27 of the 36 countries that are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (made up largely of advanced democracies) conduct their national elections on the weekend. Argentina has instated compulsory voting laws, but only sees about 76% voter turnout. 1. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? Reformers will be far more successful adding a few days or options or opportunities than trying to undo Election Day.. [20][21][22] A part-time hourly worker is more likely to have multiple jobs, none of which are likely to offer time off for a national holiday. "We should be making it easier for people to vote, not harder. South Africa's is from the first democratic elections, in 1994. Until 2009, elections were held over several consecutive Sundays. Democratic rights are much easier to end than they are to restore, so the federal government must respond to the wave of voter suppression overtaking the states with decisive, expansive action. We are the only advanced democracy that makes it deliberately difficult for people to vote. Where Is Election Day a Holiday? - Ms. Magazine By comparison,. 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.