In Estonia, a national ID card (required for every citizen in the country) can be used to vote remotely. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. After all, what do our veterans fight for, if not for democracy itself? Should Election Day Be a Holiday? Here Are Some Pros and Cons [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). Tuesday was chosen because it was most convenient for farmers traveling by horse and buggy at the time. Fourth Sunday of October immediately before the end of the current mandates. Would turnout go up if we didn't have to vote on a workday? Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? Do you think it's time for the US to follow their lead? Saturday, but can be any day of the week, such as when a Saturday conflicts with a holiday. Should the United States use the Electoral College in presidential elections? 1, which adds a new paid holiday for federal employees every other year. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. Other politicians, businesses, and advocacy groups have voiced their approval of celebrating Election Day as a national holiday. 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. Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? For more information on how to vote, head over to our TurboVote module. Why or why not? What we're proposing isn't that every Election Day becomes a national holiday, just the presidential election, which only takes place once every four years. Additionally, many of these individuals rely on school days as childcare for their children. First Sunday of October. 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. [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. Nine states classify general elections as holidays: Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Virginia. Should election day be made a national holiday? Corrections? According to Pew Research data, US voter turnout trails most developed countries. 1. Veterans Day typically is about one week after Election Day so this would involve little disruption in terms of job schedules and monthly routines. And even a number of the blue countries, such as Australia and Canada, are actually the product of colonialism. 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. A National Day is a date for a country to celebrate its nationhood. Theyare still considerably higher than in the United States, which typically sees about 65% on average turn out to vote for major elections. Is Election Day a Holiday in Your State? | RepresentUs 4. 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. 0:58. Proponents say teens are knowledgeable enough to vote. Democracy on the ballot will the remaining election deniers succeed? 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. He concluded that having an election holiday, by itself, is not an effective strategy to increase voter turnout. [34], Automatic voter registration, by contrast, could register an additional 22 million people and create 7.9 million new voters nationwide within a year. 5 Reasons Election Day Should Be a National Holiday - Global Citizen Establishing Election Day as a holiday, taken together with the pending federal voting rights reforms, would go a long way towards stabilizing democracy and ensuring basic democratic rights. The U.S. is one of only nine member nations that have weekday voting. 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. Other countries may only require it of certain people, and otherwise make it voluntary for others. $4+ Billion Cost To Give Federal Employees A New Paid Holiday - Forbes If Election Day were a national holiday, how would you ensure hourly and low-income workers would get a chance to vote? South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. This article was published more than10 years ago. [2] Sundays were for rest and worship, and on Wednesdays farmers typically sold their crops at the market, making Tuesdays the best day of the week. When turnout is high, it becomes increasingly fruitless for politicians to play to their base in ways that allow a vocal minority to rule, which is how many American leaders currently operate. 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. Americans are working all the time. So the question of how you label Ireland goes back to which holiday you consider its national day. As you can see, the world is mostly divided between countries that celebrate a national independence day and countries that celebrate a national unification or revolution day. 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.". Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. 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.. High turnout means that people are successfully exercising their rights-a good in itselfbut it also ensures the continuing health of majority rule. And so while it's very understandable that people are trying to find ways to make it more convenient for people to vote, it's very likely that Election Day as a national holiday would actually hurt the voters who most need more options," Becker said. [6] Election Day could be made a holiday if a bill were passed by the House and Senate then signed into law by the president. Meanwhile, in Macedonia this past September, voters chose to stay away from the polls because of the proposed name change for the country. However, making National Election Day a holiday will disadvantage low-income and blue . [ 18][ 19] Con 1 Voting Around the World - Home | CultureReady / CBS News. By comparison, Belgium reported the highest OECD voter turnout: 87.2% in the most recent national election. Declaring Election Day a holiday has been proposed various times in Congress; it's a popular idea. 11 July (Tuesday): Celebration of the Golden Spurs (Day of the Flemish Community) - celebrates the victory of the count of Flanders and the borough militia against the king of France outside Courtrai. The U.S. ranks 26th out of 32 for voter among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. Other countries take heroic efforts to ensure that people can vote if they desire. However, rules, dates and deadlines vary by state, which can be confusing to some voters. The number of early votes cast before Election Day 2020, as of Nov. 1, neared the 100 million mark according to data aggregated by the U.S. Countries like Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Mexico also showed high voter turnout rates by having holidays. [1], An election day usually culminates in an election night when the results of the election are tallied and winners are announced.[2]. 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. In a number of states, polling places have been closed in minority neighborhoods, which has created long lines and tremendous inconvenience for affected votersinconvenience with a cost, especially for those paid hourly wages. History of Election Day In 2018, the general election was held on Wednesday. As for Denmark, it has a national liberation day and some people celebrate international worker's day, but neither is a public holiday. [14], Pew Research Center found that 71% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans support making Election Day a federal holiday. 2) Most other countries are shaped by relatively recent revolutions. 25, 2016, Chris Talgo, "Make Election Day a National Holiday? The bill has no cosponsors, but the concept was supported by every 2020 Democratic candidate for president, excluding Mike Bloomberg and now-nominee Joe Biden. 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. by country by date These numbers also may be indicative of higher turnout for major elections, but may not reflect engagement in local or regional elections. Is Election Day a national holiday? Why you don't get the day off Opponents say it allows only a few states to select the president. ELECTION DAY - November 7, 2023 - National Today ", Others, however, are skeptical that creating a national holiday would increase voter turnout. Election dates are determined by the General Elections Commission (Indonesian: Typically on a Friday, but precise date set by, Municipal, provincial, and regional elections take place on a Sunday, as do elections for the. 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. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. However, some countries, or regions within a country, which hold elections on a weekday declare election day a public holiday. Of these countries, 27 hold their national elections on a weekend. This page was last edited on 1 February 2023, at 18:43. Mail-in voting starts 1 month before polls open. In some of these countries, voting is compulsory, and in most of them, Election Day is a holiday. By law, polling day is a public holiday if it falls on a weekday. The Freedom to Vote Act would make Election Day a national holiday. List of national independence days - Wikipedia There's nothing that would stop voters here from treating a Democracy Day like just another day off.". He says it's more important to spread voting out over a period of days and methods. Canada's turnout is about the same as the United States', with an average of 68%, and though one canton in Switzerland has a compulsory voting law, for the country as a whole turnout is around 49%, one of the lowest rates in OECD countries. 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. I think, to the best of my knowledge, it's something like $20. Election officials in various states have predicted historic levels of turnout in 2020, with a chance to reach the highest ever. The U.S. House of Representatives just passed H.R. 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. Election Day should be a 'day off,' U.S. President Joe Biden says 26 th January (Republic Day), 15 th August (Independence Day) and 2 nd October (Gandhi Jayanti). 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. 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. In the US, Election Day is not a national holiday. Is Election Day a Federal Holiday? - NBC Chicago Where Is Election Day a Holiday? - Ms. Magazine Thats not to say no one has tried. 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. 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. OK, so why Tuesday? 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). Rather, federal elections are held on the third Monday of October, every four years . TOP QUESTION As a holiday, that means several millions of people would have the day off from work or school, making it way . By Monday morning, nearly 60 million had already voted early across the country, closing in on half of 2016's total voter turnout. Lists national days around the world by country or date. 3. Should the United States Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections? [1] The decision was made taking into account farmers, a large portion of the voting constituency at the time, who would not have been able to travel to polling places in winter months or during planting or harvest times. 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%. A surprising map of the world's national holidays (only two countries Most National Days are fixed, exceptions to this are shown below. Rather than make it a national holiday where inevitably people will still have to work, change election day to election week. Most of these 19 states' policies only cover general elections, though. Vanita Gupta, CEO of the Leadership Conference on Human and Civil Rights, is working to increase voter participation and decrease voter disenfranchisement. Countries outpacing the U.S. include the U.K, Mexico and Canada. Virginia joined these states in April this year. And in Australia, there is a fine. With just about six in 10 voters turning out to vote in the U.S., some civil rights advocates are arguing that it's about time to give Americans the day off to vote. Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. In previous elections, that percentage was even higher. Puerto Rico's voter turnout has gone as high as 80 . 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 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. To paraphrase one of the commenters on the Reddit thread, is certainly is ironic that the British empire that is indirectly responsible for so many of the world's independence days has no real national day of its own. [31]. What if Election Day were a holiday? - USA TODAY In Switzerland, only one canton (or member state) requires voting; it is voluntary all other cantons of the country. Election day should be a national holidayCommentary - CNBC Portugal celebrates the 1580 death of celebrated national poet Luis de Camoes, Spain celebrates Columbus Day (yes, the holiday is a little controversial there as well, although not as much as in the U.S.), the Netherlands celebrates the queen's birthday but it still use her mother's birthday for the date and, in Greenland, the celebrate the longest day of the year. In many other democracies around the world, national elections are held on the weekend or are a federal holiday. But in many other countries, the government automatically registers voters and holds elections on days that are weekend days or national holidays. "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. Estonia This tiny Baltic nation is making waves for introducing something that seems completely logical in the digital age -- online voting. Arizona, for example, allows employees who do not have three consecutive hours before or after work when the polls are open to take paid time off to vote at the start or end of their work days. 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. Countries that hold the ballot before Sunday are not permitted to announce results until all other countries have finished voting. Yet, few of us, especially those who have worked on Capitol Hill, harbor . February 26, 2023, 5:06 AM. Should Election Day Be a Holiday? - The Atlantic 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. Sign up to receive a weekly email update on forthcoming public holidays around the world in your inbox every Sunday. [36]. Is Election Day a national holiday? These people think it should be By comparison,. 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. 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. Third Monday of October every four years, or after Parliament is dissolved by the. It is the day when popular ballots are held to select public officials. 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. - 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. Make Election Day a national holiday - Brookings 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). Consider the pandemic, which has not given essential workers more time off. [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. On U.S. Election Day, A Look At How Others Vote : NPR Before that point, states could hold their presidential elections on any day within a certain 34-day window. CBS News reporter covering climate change and energy. Huron County Fairgrounds Winter Storage, Davis County Jail Mugshots, Actors With Irish Accents, Articles C