Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. Rather, federal elections are held on the third Monday of October, every four years . Compared to other developed countries, America's voter turnout rate is pretty sad. 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. Incidentally, Australia routinely reaches more than 90. American election laws have been reformed before with minimal impact on voter turnout which remains low compared to other democracies around the world. 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. Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. 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. Lessons in How to Hold Elections", "GE2015: First time Polling Day falls on a Friday, but not first time polls held on a weekday", "180/2014 Z.z. It is very, very hard to change core American traditions.. The US ranks 26th out of 32 for voter turnout among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. Georgia grassroots groups helped Biden win. Sundays are the most common day for elections, but this is less true in the Anglosphere; Saturdays are used in New Zealand and Australia, and weekdays for the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. Democracy on the ballot will the remaining election deniers succeed? I am from Malta - a tiny EU island nation and today we celebrate the shipwreck of St. Paul on our island. During the 2016 presidential election, less than 56% of the estimated voting-age population in the US voted. Issues also arise when a persons polling place is far from their workplace or when there are long lines to vote during peak times like in the morning before work or in the evening after work. Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey agrees. Would turnout go up if we didn't have to vote on a workday? as well as other partner offers and accept our. And the empire has been pretty consistently breaking apart over the last half century Scotland is maybe next so it's not like there is a national unification to celebrate. Today in my country it is a national holiday as we celebrate the day when St. Paul converted our whole country to Catholicism in AD 60. Corrections? Explain your answer. ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. List of national independence days - Wikipedia Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. John M. Cunningham, "Why Are U.S. Younger generations are also more likely to participate in political discussions online, which shows that a move towards digitizing the political and voting processes may not be too far off. 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. Because of the pandemic, more U.S. voters are exploring alternatives to voting on Election Day, such as early voting and mail-in voting. [16]. 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. Sunday. Voting Around the World - Home | CultureReady Why Election Day Should Be A National Holiday In America 5. History of Election Day As old as all of these societies are, their senses of national identity are commemorated by remarkably recent events. Is Election Day a national holiday? Why you don't get the day off Countries that have weekend or holiday elections do tend to have better turnout overall. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says, Battleground Tracker: Tight race in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Lindsey Graham appears before Georgia grand jury, House Jan. 6 committee is having conversations with Justice Department, Georgia grand jury investigating Trump wants testimony from Giuliani, Graham, Trump election interference grand jury to hear from Raffensperger, DHS IG says Wolf changed intel report on Russian interference in 2020. 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. In the 2016 election, only 56% of voting-age Americans cast their ballots. National and Festival Holiday Act, which is applicable to all establishments in the country, irrespective of under which law it is formed it is mandatory to grant leave on following 3 days, i.e. "And we actually have more options than ever before.". 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. Election Day is a state holiday in Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York. Over the course of three days, Estonians could vote by placing their state-issued ID cards (which have an electronic chip . Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters. Is Election Day a Holiday in Your State? | RepresentUs 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. November 7, 2023. Many other democracies make election day a holiday and they all have higher voter turnout than we do. ], ProCon.org, "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons,", ProCon.org, "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons. The case for making Election Day an official holiday Election Day isn't a national holiday in the US, but some people think it should be. Election day should be a national holidayCommentary - CNBC "I'm not a fan," said Eddie Perez, an election administration and election technology expert at the Open Source Election Technology (OSET) Institute. 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. The types of workers least likely to reap the benefits of a federal holiday are those who already struggle to vote, Shineman noted. 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. With those options early in-person voting and more voter awareness on how to vote by mail voter turnout appears to be trending upward. [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. 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. Will the party listen to them on the issues? However, those numbers may be attributed to a combination of factors not solely because their elections occur on non-work days. [14], Pew Research Center found that 71% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans support making Election Day a federal holiday. Why or why not? ELECTION DAY - November 7, 2023 - National Today Some countries use electronic voting machines, such as India, while others rely on paper ballots, such as Zimbabwe. Australia sees around 91%, and 94% in Singapore. Traditionally on weekends. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. [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. 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. [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. If you make election day a federal holiday, youll have all the people who work in these types of jobs still having to work, being inundated with customers who have the day off and they wont have child care because the schools will be closed, Suzanne Lucas, who previously worked in human resources, wrote in a piece for Inc.com. Is Election Day a national holiday? Why you don't get the day off Should election day in the United States be made a national holiday 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. Most others are not so recent, but still not so old: Taiwan's, for example, goes back to a 1911 uprising. Voters in more than one-third of the country enjoy some form of an Election Day holiday, according to RepresentUs. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. While young people are generally less likely to vote, they are more motivated by the issue of freedom of speech than older generations. All rights reserved. National Holiday Act in India - Laws for Festival, Public Holidays Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 3) Britain and Denmark have no national days. But none of those states have considerably high turnout compared to those where it isn't a holiday. Runoffs take place on the last Sunday of the same October. 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. Would Making Election Day a Federal Holiday Boost U.S. Voter Turnout After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? Election officials in various states have predicted historic levels of turnout in 2020, with a chance to reach the highest ever. Voter turnout in the United States is usually considered low, especially in years without a presidential election. And even a number of the blue countries, such as Australia and Canada, are actually the product of colonialism. "If I had my way, and I think it is really important, every . 3 Countries Where It's Easier To Vote Than the United States We are the only advanced democracy that makes it deliberately difficult for people to vote. Operated 24:7 through the week. Last modified on October 1, 2020. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation.Many countries commemorate their independence from a colonial empire.. Not all countries mark independence as a national holiday. There's nothing that would stop voters here from treating a Democracy Day like just another day off.". Pro/Con Arguments | Discussion Questions | Take Action | Sources | More Debates, Election Day in the United States has occurred on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November ever since President John Tyler signed an 1845 law establishing a specific voting day for the entire country. 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. Is Election Day a Federal Holiday? - Newsweek Newsweek subscription offers > "For example, Australia typically has a turnout in the 90 percent or more range, and other nations such as Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Costa Rica and Mexico achieve. 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. Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. 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. But it is not a federal holiday. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? Consider the potential benefits and difficulties of changing election day. 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. Let us make it as easy as we can," Sanders told CBS News. In theory, it seems that any move that would make it easier for Americans to vote would increase participation. The United States has held federal elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years since 1845. Opponents say it allows only a few states to select the president. 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. The U.S. House of Representatives just passed H.R. https://www.britannica.com/question/Should-election-day-be-made-a-national-holiday. Make Election Day a national holiday - Brookings 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. Election Day is always the first Tuesday after November 1st. This page was last edited on 1 February 2023, at 18:43. Or is it an optimistic idea that would exclude already disadvantaged voters while failing to increase turnout? And even if it were a federal holiday, that wouldn't ensure that all voting-age Americans would have the day off. So when faced with choices like having to take unpaid time off work to vote, waking at the wee hours of the morning to vote so that they're not late to work, standing in hours-long lines with everyone else who waited until after the workday to cast their ballot, or simply not voting at all, many choose the latter. A simple but effective change, however, could be made in election timing. 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. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 (And in case youre curious, November was chosen as the month for similar reasons: It was after fall harvest was over but before the cold winter weather set in.). Essential reporting and analysis from correspondents around the world. NOW WATCH: Arianna Huffingtons advice to Hillary Clinton, the majority of US states have voter leave laws, You can take time off from work to vote in 30 states here's the full list, voted during the 2016 presidential election, experts say such a scheme is unlikely to fly in the US, The evolution of American voting rights in 242 years shows how far we've come and how far we still have to go, In an interview with President Barack Obama in 2016. Traditionally elections are held over two days, starting on a Friday afternoon and ending the following Saturday afternoon. Election Day in the United States is the annual day for general elections of federal public officials.It is statutorily set by the U.S. government as "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November", i.e. So, workers having a day off to vote wouldn't be a disruption to the economy, or anything a citizen of our country could deny would be worthwhile and smart thing to do. Before that point, states could hold their presidential elections on any day within a certain 34-day window. 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. But some think it should be. 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. 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. 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. Even people youd expect to know, like politicians, have been stumped by this very question. The ideal solution is simple: Congress should make Election Day a national holiday, or move Election Day to the weekend. Currently, 22 countries around the world have mandatory voting, and ten of those countries enforce the policy, including Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Peru, and Switzerland. Should Election Day in the U.S. be a national holiday? Office Holidays provides calendars with dates and information on public holidays and bank holidays in key countries around the world. [17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. And it will, in turn, help strengthen the idea that businesses can and will come together for a worthy common purpose: protecting our democracy by empowering all American workers to be good citizens. [30], Solutions such as automatic voter registration, same-day registration, early voting, no-excuse absentee voting, restoring voting rights to former felons, improved civics education, and voter outreach would all improve voter participation more reliably than a national holiday. [20][21][22] A part-time hourly worker is more likely to have multiple jobs, none of which are likely to offer time off for a national holiday. 1. That's true, although the separate "National Day of Commemoration" occurs on the anniversary of the truce ending the Irish war of independence. CBS News reporter covering climate change and energy. Countries that hold the ballot before Sunday are not permitted to announce results until all other countries have finished voting. It can fall on or between November 2 and November 8. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. a list of voting rights provisions he would support. But experts say improving voter turnout is a complicated issue that no single silver bullet strategy can solve. Could that ever happen in the U.S.? Presidential and semipresidential systems, Constituencies: districting and apportionment. Election Day is observed on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, taking place on November 7 this year. Countries outpacing the U.S. include the U.K, Mexico and Canada. Other countries take heroic efforts to ensure that people can vote if they desire. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Without this simple step toward turning out as many Americans as possible to vote, any reform will be incomplete. For rest of the festival holidays the declaration . 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. For starters, the United States is rather unique in that it schedules its election day on a weekday, let alone a Tuesday. President Obama likes the idea of changing the way or the day Americans vote.
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