Rather than make it a national holiday where inevitably people will still have to work, change election day to election 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. 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. Think of things such as voter ID laws, lowering the voting age, and abolishing the Electoral College. But some think it should be. [4][5], The United States currently has 10 national holidays, including Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Christmas Day. There is a simple and straightforward solution: make Election Day a national holiday so that people have the time and freedom to vote without taking time off from work. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. ", "An overall look at Vietnam's election law", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Election_day&oldid=1136894393. 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. 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. People literally cannot get to the polling booth because it may close at 7 o'clock and they're working later. In Australia, all citizens of age to vote are required, and if they fail to do so, they face fines. 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. Over 60 court cases reviewed the evidence and judgesappointed by both Republican and Democratic presidents alikereached the same conclusion: there was no compelling evidence of fraud. Democracy on the ballot will the remaining election deniers succeed? 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. Right now, federal elections are always held on Tuesdays, because farmers in the 1840s needed multiple days to get to the . 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. In 2007, the country held the world's first general Internet election. "While this would not be a cure-all, it would indicate a national commitment to create a more vibrant democracy.". Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. Monday in early September. 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. 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. Some countries use electronic voting machines, such as India, while others rely on paper ballots, such as Zimbabwe. Sunday: the second Sunday of March for Congress, and the second Sunday of May for President and Vice President. Sign up to receive a weekly email update on forthcoming public holidays around the world in your inbox every Sunday. 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. 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. CBS News reporter covering climate change and energy. These numbers also may be indicative of higher turnout for major elections, but may not reflect engagement in local or regional elections. OK, so why Tuesday? A lot of people go to work, or they're in school during the weekday. 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. And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who don't to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. Should the United States Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections? [18][19], Federal law doesnt require private employers to give employees paid federal holidays. 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. 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.". Regional Belgian public holidays during 2023. A number of bills like the Weekend Voting Act have been proposed in Congress over the years, often by Democrats. 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. The U.S. is one of only nine member nations that have weekday voting. Third Monday of October every four years, or after Parliament is dissolved by the. 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. Estonia This tiny Baltic nation is making waves for introducing something that seems completely logical in the digital age -- online voting. 26 th January (Republic Day), 15 th August (Independence Day) and 2 nd October (Gandhi Jayanti). Other politicians, businesses, and advocacy groups have voiced their approval of celebrating Election Day as a national holiday. ", Others, however, are skeptical that creating a national holiday would increase voter turnout. Australia sees around 91%, and 94% in Singapore. During the 2016 presidential election, less than 56% of the estimated voting-age population in the US voted. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. Election Day is already a holiday for state employees in more than a dozen states including Kentucky, Michigan, and New York. [ 17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. Election Day isn't a national holiday in the US, but some people think it should be. [15] A survey showed that US adults would rather have a federal holiday on Election Day than on Christmas Eve, the Friday after Thanksgiving, or St. Patricks day. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. Omissions? 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). South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. Research has found that higher trust in the government and democratic process leads to greater voter turnout. February 26, 2023, 5:06 AM. 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. First Sunday of October. So the question of how you label Ireland goes back to which holiday you consider its national day. Before that point, states could hold their presidential elections on any day within a certain 34-day window. 1. 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). 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. Tuesday was chosen because it was most convenient for farmers traveling by horse and buggy at the time. 5. Puerto Rico's voter turnout has gone as high as 80 . 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. Presidential and semipresidential systems, Constituencies: districting and apportionment. He says it's more important to spread voting out over a period of days and methods. According to Pew Research data, US voter turnout trails most developed countries. [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. They stated, Citizen Day would do more than give our democracy the honor that it deserves; it would help our democracy work better. [3] In 1800, 83% of the American labor force was agrarian, but today only 11% of total US employment is agriculture-related. The types of workers least likely to reap the benefits of a federal holiday are those who already struggle to vote, Shineman noted. 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. This article was published more than10 years ago. 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. Election Day in the United States of America is the Tuesday following the first Monday in November. 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! However, some countries, or regions within a country, which hold elections on a weekday declare election day a public holiday. 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. 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. Rather, federal elections are held on the third Monday of October, every four years . ", Obama: "Absolutely. Whether election day should be made a national holiday is debated. American election laws have been reformed before with minimal impact on voter turnout which remains low compared to other democracies around the world. The US ranks 26th out of 32 for voter turnout among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. The U.S. House of Representatives just passed H.R. Disclaimer: Dates and Events correct at time of printing but may change without our knowledge. In some of these countries, voting is compulsory, and in most of them, Election Day is a holiday. ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. [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. But it is not a federal holiday. "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons." I think, to the best of my knowledge, it's something like $20. a list of voting rights provisions he would support. Again, it is not clear that this is demonstrably true but it is a widespread perception. 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. Election day is a national holiday. 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. Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey agrees. 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. It's amazing how much of the map is green, indicating countries that celebrate a national independence day every year. Sunday. 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. 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. The Freedom to Vote Act would make Election Day a national holiday. Sign up for notifications from Insider! It is the day when popular ballots are held to select public officials. 2. 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. 4. Especially given that 65% of Americans support making election day a national holiday and 43% of voters already live in one of the 19 states with some form of voting holiday. Proponents say teens are knowledgeable enough to vote. Election Day is a state holiday in Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York. One major reason: It comes down to tradition, Troy said. Why or why not? 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Argentina has instated compulsory voting laws, but only sees about 76% voter turnout. by country by date In the 2016 election, only 56% of voting-age Americans cast their ballots. 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. Pew also found that certain issues motivate voters more than others: "health care, poverty and education are the top motivators for political engagement." In fact, in Estonia, the option tovoteonlineis becoming increasingly popular. 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. Many other democracies make election day a holiday and they all have higher voter turnout than we do. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Most recently, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont proposed a bill to designate "Democracy Day" as a national election holiday, which sits before a special committee. 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. 27 September (Wednesday): Day of the French-speaking Community - commemorates the victory of the patriots against the Dutch army in Brussels in 1830. 1. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. Ralph Northam signed into law a measure that, among other things, makes Election Day a state holiday in the commonwealth. Some countries, about 27 of them,make voting compulsory. The bill would also effectively revive Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which requires states with a history of voter discrimination have all changes to their election laws approved by the federal government, updating the law in response to the Supreme Courts 2013 holding in Shelby County v. Holder. Read More, Election Day is a holiday in Puerto Rico. Election Day is always the first Tuesday after November 1st. 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. Rose Marcario, CEO, stated, demonstrating your companys commitment to voting will reinforce how essential it is that every eligible voter shows up. Consider the pandemic, which has not given essential workers more time off. Litigation pending before the Supreme Court this term in Brnovich v. DNC, however, threatens to undermine this rule. Do you think it's time for the US to follow their lead? Reformers will be far more successful adding a few days or options or opportunities than trying to undo Election Day.. Some countries, including Belgium and Turkey, see such high voter turnout mainly because of their compulsory voting laws. 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. Tuesday was selected because it was the most convenient. By comparison, Belgium reported the highest OECD voter turnout: 87.2% in the most recent national election. Elections Project, which is close to the complete voter . For more on the debate about making election day a national holiday, visit ProCon.org. Here are five reasons why Election Day should be a national holiday. Other countries may only require it of certain people, and otherwise make it voluntary for others. And. Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard Countries outpacing the U.S. include the U.K, Mexico and Canada. 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 designateelection day a national holiday. In Switzerland, only one canton (or member state) requires voting; it is voluntary all other cantons of the country. 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those . 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. 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). We're familiar with how voting works in the U.S.when we vote, how we vote, who we vote forbut do you know what voting is like in other countries around the world? ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. Countries like Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Mexico also showed high voter turnout rates by having holidays. Approximately two million people who work for the federal government would be given a paid day off, and private companies might follow suit. 25, 2016, Chris Talgo, "Make Election Day a National Holiday? So far this year, hundreds of bills have been introduced that could have the effect of suppressing peoples right to vote. 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 in the US voted during the 2016 presidential election. Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. This page was last edited on 1 February 2023, at 18:43. There's nothing that would stop voters here from treating a Democracy Day like just another day off.". 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those countries. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. "If I had my way, and I think it is really important, every . Here are the proper bibliographic citations for this page according to four style manuals (in alphabetical order): [Editor's Note: The APA citation style requires double spacing within entries. America is walking the knifes edge between maintaining and losing democracy. The U.S. ranks 26th out of 32 for voter among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. But Gupta said that there's been a "lack of political will" to give the initiative some momentum. By comparison,. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. 3. States such as Georgia and Iowa already have passed restrictive measures and many others appear poised to do the same thing. 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. 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, . At the top of his list: making Election Day a national holiday. [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. ABUJA, Nigeria -- Nigeria's election commission announced the first results late Sunday from the country's closely watched presidential election, but it could days . Many Americans know that Election Day is a Tuesday, but few know why. On Sunday, Virginia Democratic Gov. So, since this effort does not receive bipartisan support, it is difficult to enact.. Managing Editor Most of these 19 states' policies only cover general elections, though. 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. "Election Day really definitely does need to be a holiday," she said, adding, "We need to be able to have everybody feel like they have a great stake in it.". High turnout means that people are successfully exercising their rights-a good in itselfbut it also ensures the continuing health of majority rule. And she thinks corporate America has been leading the way, pointing out several businesses, including Walmart and Coca-Cola, that have announced paid time off and other accommodations to make voting easier for employees on November 3. That's true, although the separate "National Day of Commemoration" occurs on the anniversary of the truce ending the Irish war of independence. Incidentally, Australia routinely reaches more than 90. Declaring Election Day a holiday has been proposed various times in Congress; it's a popular idea. Senator Bernie Sanders has certainly tried heintroducedthe "Democracy Day Act" in 2018, which proposed making Election Day a federal holiday. 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. It happens to be on the day the politicians themselves get elected. 1. 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%. 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.. Passing voting rights reform will be a crucial component of this response, as would making Election Day a national holiday. Traditionally elections are held over two days, starting on a Friday afternoon and ending the following Saturday afternoon. 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. In Thailand, one of the very few countries outside of Europe that was never formally colonized, the king's birthday is celebrated (don't insult him or you might go to jail, per the lese majeste laws). And even if it were a federal holiday, that wouldn't ensure that all voting-age Americans would have the day off. as well as other partner offers and accept our. If so, how? The ideal solution is simple: Congress should make Election Day a national holiday, or move Election Day to the weekend. 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. ProCon.org. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Theyare still considerably higher than in the United States, which typically sees about 65% on average turn out to vote for major elections. South Africa's is from the first democratic elections, in 1994. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Of these countries, 27 hold their national elections on a weekend. Elections to the Bundestag may be held on another public holiday. https://www.britannica.com/question/Should-election-day-be-made-a-national-holiday. In the US, Election Day is not a national holiday. - Zkon o podmienkach vkonu volebnh", "The Effectiveness of Early Voting A Case Study of the Republic of Korea", "Ley Orgnica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Rgimen Electoral General", "Elections in Venezuela and Pennsylvania: Lessons in Democracy? It was created in 1992,. Nine states classify general elections as holidays: Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Virginia. Mr. CHRISTENSEN: One of the biggest countries that uses compulsory voting is Australia. Some businesses may close, but their hourly paid employees will either have to use a PTO day or not get paid.. Other countries take heroic efforts to ensure that people can vote if they desire. In Sweden, for example, 83% of registered voters participated in the 2014 national . This . It is very, very hard to change core American traditions which Americans see not only as propping up their democracy but perpetuating its legitimacy, he said. And even a number of the blue countries, such as Australia and Canada, are actually the product of colonialism. November 7, 2023. For more on the debate about making election day a national holiday, visit ProCon.org. Thats not to say no one has tried. "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 earliest possible date that Election Day can fall on is November 2nd, and the latest possible date is November 8th.
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