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. First Sunday of July until 2018. OK, so why Tuesday? Proponents say the Electoral College ensures everyone selects the president. 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. 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. "I'm not a fan," said Eddie Perez, an election administration and election technology expert at the Open Source Election Technology (OSET) Institute. [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. According to the country's website detailing their "digital society," online voting has soared from 1.9% in 2005 to 30.5% in 2015. [31] Same-day registration boosts turnout by 5%, and universal implementation of it would have added as many as 4.8 million voters in the 2016 election, according to Danielle Root, JD, and Liz Kennedy, JD, from the Center for American Progress. Election Day should be a 'day off,' U.S. President Joe Biden says Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. A lot of people go to work, or they're in school during the weekday. The US isn't the only developed country that faces this criticism, however. Accessed February 21, 2023. https://www.procon.org/headlines/election-day-national-holiday-top-3-pros-and-cons/, potential benefits and difficulties of changing election day, election day should not be a national holiday. [10][11]] February 26, 2023, 5:06 AM. Lists national days around the world by country or date. Hailey said the country needs a "cultural shift" to prioritize voting. This . 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. It would also blunt the impact of many of these baldly anti-democratic movesopening the doors to the house as Republicans attempt to shut the windows. Other politicians, businesses, and advocacy groups have voiced their approval of celebrating Election Day as a national holiday. What other improvements could be made to voting and Election Day? Election Day isn't a national holiday in the US, but some people think it should be. Last Tuesday was election day in the United States, and this year we voted in the midterm elections. October 26, 2020 / 10:57 AM https://www.britannica.com/question/Should-election-day-be-made-a-national-holiday. Would turnout go up if we didn't have to vote on a workday? [31]. No: Too Inconvenient, Early-Voting Options Ample, orlandosentinel.com, Nov. 5, 2018, Henry Farber, "Increasing Voter Turnout: Is Democracy Day the Answer?, princeton.edu, Feb. 2009, Sarah Issenberg, "The Mystery of the Puerto Rico Voter, slate.com, Jan. 27, 2012, Paul LeBlanc, "Virginia Governor Makes Election Day a Holiday and Expands Early Voting,". South Africa's is from the first democratic elections, in 1994. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. the Tuesday that occurs within November 2 to November 8. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. In-person polls open Sunday at 12:01am, close Saturday at 11:59pm. 22 June 1986, 29 October 1989, 6 June 1993, 3 March 1996, 12 March 2000, 14 March 2004, 9 March 2008, 20 November 2011, 20 December 2015, 26 June 2016. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. Election officials in various states have predicted historic levels of turnout in 2020, with a chance to reach the highest ever. Japan formally celebrates the anniversary of an ancient mythical emperor, although the holiday is mostly ignored today, due in part to its connections with Japan's ugly imperial history. 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. Should the United States Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections? Of these countries, 27 hold their national elections on a weekend. Read more: You can take time off from work to vote in 30 states here's the full list. [1], An election day usually culminates in an election night when the results of the election are tallied and winners are announced.[2]. According to Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus, Australia adopted compulsory voting in 1924 after turnout there dropped to less than 60 percent in 1922. History of Election Day Some businesses may close, but their hourly paid employees will either have to use a PTO day or not get paid.. For rest of the festival holidays the declaration . In 2007, the country held the world's first general Internet election. [17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. 2. 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. Right now, federal elections are always held on Tuesdays, because farmers in the 1840s needed multiple days to get to the . While the majority of US states have voter leave laws that guarantee certain employees a modicum of time off to vote, no federal law currently mandates that employees get time off to cast their ballots. This is the day we cast ballots to select public officials from local to the national government. Declaring Election Day a holiday has been proposed various times in Congress; it's a popular idea. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. 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. 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. Start the discussion over on our Facebook page, and let us know about civic engagement in your town, state, or country! As Congress continues to grapple with voting rights legislation this week, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has used his considerable influence as the Senates key swing vote to set the terms of the debate. 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. The U.S. ranks 26th out of 32 for voter among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. 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. 3 Countries Where It's Easier To Vote Than the United States 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. But none of those states have considerably high turnout compared to those where it isn't a holiday. National Holiday Act in India - Laws for Festival, Public Holidays 1. [7] A handful of states have made election day a state holiday, including New York, Hawaii, Kentucky, and, in Apr. Should Election Day Be a Holiday? - Homepage | Morningside Center for This article was published more than10 years ago. 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. Incidentally, Australia routinely reaches more than 90. Presidential elections are held every four years, in years divisible by four, while the elections to the . 3. 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. Explain your answer. Elections to the Bundestag may be held on another public holiday. 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. And I think on Election Day we should have a national holiday which says, 'you don't have to rush to vote.' While young people are generally less likely to vote, they are more motivated by the issue of freedom of speech than older generations. Whether election day in the United States should be made a national holiday is debated. - 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. 12, 2019, Ceylan Pumphrey, "Do Businesses Have to Give Federal Holidays Like Presidents Day Off?, blogs.findlaw.com, Feb. 14, 2018, Department of Labor, "Holiday Pay, dol.gov (accessed Sep. 23, 2019), Peggy Emch, "Is Holiday Pay Required by Law?, timesheets.com, 2013, Fast Casual, "Study: Why Hourly Workers Forced to Work Multiple Jobs, fastcasual.com, Apr. 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. We are the only advanced democracy that makes it deliberately difficult for people to vote. 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. So the question of how you label Ireland goes back to which holiday you consider its national day. Is Election Day a federal holiday? 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those . 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. Part of HuffPost Home & Living. Executive director and founder of the Center for Election Innovation & Research David Becker argues that increasing turnout is a nuanced problem that can't be fixed by declaring a holiday. Here is the relevant passage from Acts 28: Omissions? It can fall on or between November 2 and November 8. So far this year, hundreds of bills have been introduced that could have the effect of suppressing peoples right to vote. 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. Newsela | Should Election Day become a national holiday? Most National Days are fixed, exceptions to this are shown below. Compulsory voting does not necessarily guarantee 100% turnout rates, however, though they still see higher rates than countries which do not require it. Yet, few of us, especially those who have worked on Capitol Hill, harbor . To make Election Day a national holiday, it would take an act of Congress, and so far, no bills proposing such action have passed. Make Election Day a national holiday - Brookings This is why election day is not a holiday in Canada - blogTO Should Election Day Be a Holiday? Here Are Some Pros and Cons Unlike Singapore, South Korea and Israel, Canada has not declared election days as public holidays. ", "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. 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. 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. [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. Is Election Day a Federal Holiday? - NBC Chicago 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.

Folgers No Pants Commercial Actor, Firewood Permit Pike National Forest, Mychart Methodist Dallas, Articles C