Should Election Day Be a Holiday? Here Are Some Pros and Cons 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. Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. Veterans Day typically is about one week after Election Day so this would involve little disruption in terms of job schedules and monthly routines. Senator Bernie Sanders has certainly tried heintroducedthe "Democracy Day Act" in 2018, which proposed making Election Day a federal holiday. 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. A simple but effective change, however, could be made in election timing. ProCon.org. 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. 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. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. 1, which adds a new paid holiday for federal employees every other year. 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. National Holiday Act in India - Laws for Festival, Public Holidays by country by date 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. Last modified on October 1, 2020. 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. 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. 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. 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. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. Research has found that higher trust in the government and democratic process leads to greater voter turnout. 1. Regional Belgian public holidays during 2023. Why Isn't Election Day A National Holiday In The United States? - HuffPost 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. 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. I think, to the best of my knowledge, it's something like $20. Unlike Singapore, South Korea and Israel, Canada has not declared election days as public holidays. Some businesses may close, but their hourly paid employees will either have to use a PTO day or not get paid.. The founding fathers at first only granted white, male property owners the right to vote, so the expansion of voting rights has taken some time. 3. History of Election Day Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Nine states classify general elections as holidays: Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Virginia. Is Election Day a federal holiday? Again, it is not clear that this is demonstrably true but it is a widespread perception. By comparison,. The pros and cons of the felon voting debate include arguments about the social contract, voting while in prison, and paying debts. Understanding what happened in the Chicago mayoral race. Traditionally on weekends. Election Day isn't a national holiday in the US, but some people think it should be. If so, how? In Switzerland, only one canton (or member state) requires voting; it is voluntary all other cantons of the country. By law, polling day is a public holiday if it falls on a weekday. CBS News reporter covering climate change and energy. It's amazing how much of the map is green, indicating countries that celebrate a national independence day every year. Election day is a national holiday. [3] In 1800, 83% of the American labor force was agrarian, but today only 11% of total US employment is agriculture-related. 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. 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. Voting Around the World - Home | CultureReady Proponents say the Electoral College ensures everyone selects the president. All 435 representatives were up for re-election, as well as a third ofsenators, and countless elections for governors, mayors, state legislators, and local government across the country. Examine this opinion article from Evil HR Lady Suzanne Lucas on why election day should not be a national holiday. Election Day is always the first Tuesday after November 1st. 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. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. All this despite the fact that these types of restrictions have typically been considered illegal under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires that elections be equally open to all people. 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. [16]. Election day should be a national holidayCommentary - CNBC 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. Should election day be made a national holiday? | Britannica Do you think it's time for the US to follow their lead? So, since this effort does not receive bipartisan support, it is difficult to enact.. According to the country's website detailing their "digital society," online voting has soared from 1.9% in 2005 to 30.5% in 2015. However, some countries, or regions within a country, which hold elections on a weekday declare election day a public holiday. Opponents say it allows only a few states to select the president. The ideal solution is simple: Congress should make Election Day a national holiday, or move Election Day to the weekend. Think about it. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Explain your answers. 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. Many Americans know that Election Day is a Tuesday, but few know why. Read more: You can take time off from work to vote in 30 states here's the full list. 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. Is Election Day a Federal Holiday? - Newsweek Explore which countries have weekend voting with Pew Research. [26] Caravanas are joyful, noisy parades of cars festooned with flags and other decorations that stream through Puerto Ricos streets ahead of an election and are credited with the islands over 80% voter turnout. But none of those states have considerably high turnout compared to those where it isn't a holiday. [27], Companies including Abercrombie & Fitch Co., Farmers Insurance, Kaiser Permanente, Patagonia, and Walmart have joined Make Time to Vote campaign, which encourages employers to provide paid time off, schedule no meetings on Election Day, and give information on mail-in ballots and early voting. Saturday, but can be any day of the week, such as when a Saturday conflicts with a holiday. COLUMN: Point Counterpoint: There are pros and cons to making Election Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? 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. Estonia This tiny Baltic nation is making waves for introducing something that seems completely logical in the digital age -- online voting. [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. Part of HuffPost Home & Living. However, the issues vary among different demographic groups. Operated 24:7 through the week. Before that point, states could hold their presidential elections on any day within a certain 34-day window. [36]. Reformers will be far more successful adding a few days or options or opportunities than trying to undo Election Day.. "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons." Make Election Day a national holiday - Brookings 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. Most of these 19 states' policies only cover general elections, though. 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. It was created in 1992,. 1. 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those countries. Election day should be a national holiday. Which type of claim is this 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. [17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. 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. Rather than make it a national holiday where inevitably people will still have to work, change election day to election week. People literally cannot get to the polling booth because it may close at 7 o'clock and they're working later. Declaring Election Day a holiday has been proposed various times in Congress; it's a popular idea. We also know that countries that have marked their election days as federal events see higher voting turnouts than the United States. / CBS News. For more on the debate about making election day a national holiday, visit ProCon.org. 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). 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,". Election Day is observed on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, taking place on November 7 this year. 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. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a group that includes 36 countries. In fact, in Estonia, the option tovoteonlineis becoming increasingly popular. Because of the pandemic, more U.S. voters are exploring alternatives to voting on Election Day, such as early voting and mail-in voting. Maybe Making Election Day a National Holiday Wouldn't Really Work Consider the potential benefits and difficulties of changing election day. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. We are very proud that we are mentioned in the Bible. That means the stock market will be open, and so will. Currently, 22 countries around the world have mandatory voting, and ten of those countries enforce the policy, including Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Peru, and Switzerland. 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. The outliers are a tiny minority, and only two countries have no formal national day at all. Some countries, about 27 of them, make voting compulsory. Most National Days are fixed, exceptions to this are shown below. Should Election Day be a national holiday? Ralph Northam signed into law a measure that, among other things, makes Election Day a state holiday in the commonwealth. Monday in early September. Image 2. [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. But Gupta said that there's been a "lack of political will" to give the initiative some momentum. 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 . 2. [9], Former Editor-in-Chief of the Northwestern University Law Review, Beau C. Tremitiere, JD, stated, The demands of school and work schedules keep millions of Americans, especially those with children or long commutes, from ever getting to their polling stations The ideal solution is simple: Congress should make Election Day a national holiday, or move Election Day to the weekend. [10] A holiday would allow more citizens volunteer at polling places or drive the elderly to vote, and make a difference in states where long lines at the polls keep voters waiting for hours. Election Day is a US State Holiday observed on several states on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every even-numbered year. 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. 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. And in Australia, there is a fine. [7] A handful of states have made election day a state holiday, including New York, Hawaii, Kentucky, and, in Apr. Countries that have weekend or holiday elections do tend to have better turnout overall. Think of things such as voter ID laws, lowering the voting age, and abolishing the Electoral College. Would Making Election Day a Federal Holiday Boost U.S. Voter Turnout What if Election Day were a holiday? - USA TODAY 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. Election Practices in Other Countries That America Could Learn From The Evolution of American Voting Rights in 242 Years Shows How Far Weve Come -- and How Far We Still Have to Go, businessinsider.com, Sep. 24, 2019, University of Houston Digital History, "Agriculture, digitalhistory.uh.edu (accessed Sep. 24, 2019), USDA, "Ag and Food Sectors and the Economy, ers.usda.gov, Sep. 20, 2019, Legal Information Institute, "5 U.S. Code 6103. Obama Expresses Support For Making Election Day A National Holiday Twenty-seven of the 36 member countries, hold their elections on the weekend. Is Election Day a national holiday? Why you don't get the day off ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. But some think it should be. Russia's national holiday only goes back to 1992, when the Russian Federation was founded. [23], Annie McDonald, Editor of the Berkeley Public Policy Journal, noted that the workers who are least likely to get paid holidays are those who already have less of a voice in the political process: Americans working in retail, hospitality, and service jobs, for example, would most likely not receive the benefit of a paid holiday to vote. [4][5], The United States currently has 10 national holidays, including Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Christmas Day. By Monday morning, nearly 60 million had already voted early across the country, closing in on half of 2016's total voter turnout. However, those numbers may be attributed to a combination of factors not solely because their elections occur on non-work days. John M. Cunningham, "Why Are U.S. Why not make Election Day a national holiday? - CBS News Its hard to say. 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. Make Election Day a National Holiday | YIP Institute 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. After all, what do our veterans fight for, if not for democracy itself? 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. "While this would not be a cure-all, it would indicate a national commitment to create a more vibrant democracy.". February 26, 2023, 5:06 AM. Election results only announced for 1 of Nigeria's 36 states 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. Congress would shore up the peoples right to vote while guaranteeing the time to engage in this fundamental right. ", "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. 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. 5. Some countries, including Belgium and Turkey, see such high voter turnout mainly because of their compulsory voting laws. Election Day is the day for general elections of public officials in the U.S. Of these countries, 27 hold their national elections on a weekend. [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. 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. 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. President Obama likes the idea of changing the way or the day Americans vote. He says it's more important to spread voting out over a period of days and methods. Sunday. And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who dont to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. Other politicians, businesses, and advocacy groups have voiced their approval of celebrating Election Day as a national holiday. Updates? 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. [8][15] A holiday for elections sidesteps the issue of a weekend election, which could conflict with religious obligations. 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. 25, 2016, Chris Talgo, "Make Election Day a National Holiday? List two to three ways. Tuesday is Election Day, but only in some parts of the country will voters get the day off to cast their ballots. Like Perez, Becker thinks giving voters more time and opportunity to vote is the best approach. Take, for example, Bhutan, which every celebrates the anniversary of Ugyen Wangchuck's 1907 election as the nation's first hereditary king (yes, you read that correctly), but not its 1949 independence. So the question of how you label Ireland goes back to which holiday you consider its national day. As for Denmark, it has a national liberation day and some people celebrate international worker's day, but neither is a public holiday. This is why election day is not a holiday in Canada - blogTO [33], Henry Farber, PhD, Hughes-Rogers Professor of Economics at Princeton University, conducted an analysis of states that made Election Day a holiday for state employees. 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). Some countries, about 27 of them,make voting compulsory. Democracy on the ballot will the remaining election deniers succeed? Theyare still considerably higher than in the United States, which typically sees about 65% on average turn out to vote for major elections. The United States is out of step with the rest of the world: elections are held on weekends in 27 of the 36 OECD countries. 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. 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. For federal offices (president, vice president, and United States Congress) and most gubernatorial offices (all except for . In an interview published Thursday, President Obama endorsed the idea of holding U.S. federal elections on weekends or national holidays.
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