"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. But Gupta said that there's been a "lack of political will" to give the initiative some momentum. 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.. That means the stock market will be open, and so will. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. For other uses, see. 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. 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. [14], Pew Research Center found that 71% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans support making Election Day a federal holiday. Incidentally, Australia routinely reaches more than 90. Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard "We should be making it easier for people to vote, not harder. Because of the pandemic, more U.S. voters are exploring alternatives to voting on Election Day, such as early voting and mail-in voting. [7] A handful of states have made election day a state holiday, including New York, Hawaii, Kentucky, and, in Apr. Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. It worked. Other countries may only require it of certain people, and otherwise make it voluntary for others. Should Election Day be a national holiday? All federal elections take place the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. 14, 2019, BBC, "Singapore Election: Governing Party Secure Decisive Win, bbc.com, Sep. 12, 2015, Holly Jackson, "It's Time to Make Election Day a Holiday in Law and Spirit," washingtonpost.com, Oct. 22, 2018, BCP Associates, "India Elections 2019 - Declaration of Paid Holiday on Polling Day, bcpassociates.com, Apr. There are some exceptions; as Wednesday was not covered by the available dates, the Netherlands holds elections on Thursday, while Denmark holds elections on Sunday. Saudi Arabia's marks the 1932 unification of the country. We also know that countries that have marked their election days as federal events see higher voting turnouts than the United States. The ideal solution is simple: Congress should make Election Day a national holiday, or move Election Day to the weekend. Updates? Examine this opinion article from Evil HR Lady Suzanne Lucas on why election day should not be a national holiday. a list of voting rights provisions he would support. 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. And I think on Election Day we should have a national holiday which says, 'you don't have to rush to vote.' South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. There's nothing that would stop voters here from treating a Democracy Day like just another day off.". "And we actually have more options than ever before.". 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. But in many other countries, the government automatically registers voters and holds elections on days that are weekend days or national holidays. And that election saw the second highest voter turnout in 20 years. 0:00. 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. Corrections? So, workers having a day off to vote wouldn't be a disruption to the economy, or anything a citizen of our country could deny would be worthwhile and smart thing to do. In many other democracies around the world, national elections are held on the weekend or are a federal holiday. Ralph Northam signed into law a measure that, among other things, makes Election Day a state holiday in the commonwealth. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a group that includes 36 countries. At least 10 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Indonesia fuel depot fire kills 18; more than a dozen missing, Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed last month, doctor says, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Defense lawyers in Idaho killings case want gag order kept, Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife and son. These numbers also may be indicative of higher turnout for major elections, but may not reflect engagement in local or regional elections. Given this, an Election Day holiday would remove a significant barrier to participation for relatively well-to-do potential voters while doing little to make voting easier for a significant. Office Holidays provides calendars with dates and information on public holidays and bank holidays in key countries around the world. For starters, the United States is rather unique in that it schedules its election day on a weekday, let alone a Tuesday. It is set by statute as "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November.". Think about it. Sweden came second with 82.6%. Georgias voter suppression bill is an assault on our democracy, Republicans in 48 states have introduced 389 bills, Tracking regulatory changes in the Biden era. Sunday: first Sunday of February for the President, Vice-President, and Legislative Assembly; second Sunday of February for municipal elections. Roughly 138 million Americans voted in the 2016 presidential election, just 61.4% of the 214,109,360 million who were registered to vote, according to The U.S. Election Assistance Commission. 2. 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. From 2021, the first Sunday of June. For rest of the festival holidays the declaration . 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. By law, polling day is a public holiday if it falls on a weekday. Most of these 19 states' policies only cover general elections, though. But experts say improving voter turnout is a complicated issue that no single silver bullet strategy can solve. [ 17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. And in Australia, there is a fine. Such a change would mostly benefit white-collar workers instead of the lower-income workers its designed to help. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. But this arrangement began to raise concerns as travel and communication improved in the 19th century: Results from states that voted earlier could sway the outcome in states that voted later. This page was last edited on 1 February 2023, at 18:43. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. The US isn't the only developed country that faces this criticism, however. 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. 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. Concentrating voters into a single day risks congesting polling places, even more so than some already are. 1, which adds a new paid holiday for federal employees every other year. To make Election Day a national holiday, it would take an act of Congress, and so far, no bills proposing such action have passed. While some states have made Election Day a civic holiday (though it primarily applies to public workers) and most have laws that require companies to give employees some time off to vote, none of the legislative efforts to enact these changes on a national level have been successful. For more information on how to vote, head over to our TurboVote module. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? Traditionally on weekends. In the US, Election Day is not a national holiday. Here are five reasons why Election Day should be a national holiday. Whether election day in the United States should be made a national holiday is debated. In Estonia, a national ID card (required for every citizen in the country) can be used to vote remotely. 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. Explain your answer. 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. Updated: 7:01 AM EST November 2, 2020 ATLANTA For many Americans, voting on Election Day is a tradition, and some wonder why it's not a national 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. Without this simple step toward turning out as many Americans as possible to vote, any reform will be incomplete. Argentina has instated compulsory voting laws, but only sees about 76% voter turnout. But while . In 2018, a Pewstudy found that 65% of Americans favored making Election Day a national holiday. Last Tuesday was election day in the United States, and this year we voted in the midterm elections. 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. 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! The earliest possible date that Election Day can fall on is November 2nd, and the latest possible date is November 8th. Some countries, including Belgium and Turkey, see such high voter turnout mainly because of their compulsory voting laws. It can fall on or between November 2 and November 8. Countries which permit absentee ballots, early ballots or postal votes to be cast by mail before the election avoid the problem altogether by enabling voters to vote on a day that is more convenient to them. According to Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus, Australia adopted compulsory voting in 1924 after turnout there dropped to less than 60 percent in 1922. But some think it should be. 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. 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. Sunday: the second Sunday of March for Congress, and the second Sunday of May for President and Vice President. Many other democracies make election day a holiday and they all have higher voter turnout than we do. Read more: You can take time off from work to vote in 30 states here's the full list. Modern life operates around the clock. Nine states classify general elections as holidays: Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Virginia. 2) Most other countries are shaped by relatively recent revolutions. 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those . Pro/Con Arguments | Discussion Questions | Take Action | Sources | More Debates, Election Day in the United States has occurred on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November ever since President John Tyler signed an 1845 law establishing a specific voting day for the entire country. 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. February 26, 2023, 5:06 AM. The United States has held federal elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years since 1845. In 2005, the American Bar Association looked at a few different methods of voting: in 1989 in Namibia, voters marked an X on ballots using ink on their fingers; in Bulgaria, rather than marking a ballot, voters pick from any number of sheets of paper representing specific political parties and puts it in a ballot box; and in Ireland, "they designate their top three candidates by numbering them 1, 2, and 3." Let us make it as easy as we can," Sanders told CBS News. 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. Will the party listen to them on the issues? Here is the relevant passage from Acts 28: "[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. And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who don't to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. History of Election Day Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Operated 24:7 through the week. 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. All rights reserved. Some countries, about 27 of them,make voting compulsory. Thats not to say no one has tried. 2. 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). ", Obama: "Absolutely. 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. By comparison,. 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. The correct answer is B. Advertisement Advertisement marberman marberman This is the day we cast ballots to select public officials from local to the national government. - Vincent Hutchings, a University of Michigan political science professor, - Gil Troy, American presidential historian, 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, Joaquin Corbalan / EyeEm via Getty Images, as travel and communication improved in the 19th century, being too busy or having a conflicting schedule, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, substantially increase the cost of running elections, move that would make it easier for Americans to vote, The types of workers least likely to reap the benefits. The pros and cons of the felon voting debate include arguments about the social contract, voting while in prison, and paying debts. Other countries take heroic efforts to ensure that people can vote if they desire. (And in case youre curious, November was chosen as the month for similar reasons: It was after fall harvest was over but before the cold winter weather set in.). [17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. Its hard to say. A number of bills like the Weekend Voting Act have been proposed in Congress over the years, often by Democrats. 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. Delaware Hawaii Kentucky Louisiana Montana New Jersey New York Ohio Puerto Rico Virginia West Virginia While Tuesdays have been custom for elections in the United States, Sunday is the day of. Of these countries, 27 hold their national elections on a weekend. But some election analysts told CBS News that making Election Day a holiday is not a way to make voting easier. So, focusing voting efforts to one day doesn't do enough to accommodate everyone, Becker argues. Sunday. However, the issues vary among different demographic groups. 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. [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). [26] Creating laws in all states that let people vote before or after work would be more effective than a national holiday, which would quickly be viewed as just another day off to enjoy. Election Day is already a holiday for state employees in more than a dozen states including Kentucky, Michigan, and New York. A simple but effective change, however, could be made in election timing. Image 2. So, since this effort does not receive bipartisan support, it is difficult to enact.. Veterans Day typically is about one week after Election Day so this would involve little disruption in terms of job schedules and monthly routines.
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