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. November 7, 2023. Is Election Day a federal holiday? Here's what is open, closed Tuesday Sign up for notifications from Insider! Should election day be made a national holiday? | Britannica [ 18][ 19] Con 1 5 Reasons Election Day Should Be a National Holiday - Global Citizen Let us make it as easy as we can," Sanders told CBS News. Should Election Day in the U.S. be a national holiday? ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. Virginia joined these states in April this year. February 26, 2023, 5:06 AM. Have you experienced an election day in another country, or do you know how voting works in a place we haven't mentioned here? [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. Rather, federal elections are held on the third Monday of October, every four years . a list of voting rights provisions he would support. Most others are not so recent, but still not so old: Taiwan's, for example, goes back to a 1911 uprising. as well as other partner offers and accept our. 4. Granderson: Why aren't Democrats making election day a state holiday Given this, an Election Day holiday would remove a significant barrier to participation for relatively well-to-do potential voters while doing little to make voting easier for a significant. Some countries use electronic voting machines, such as India, while others rely on paper ballots, such as Zimbabwe. 1. Vanita Gupta, CEO of the Leadership Conference on Human and Civil Rights, is working to increase voter participation and decrease voter disenfranchisement. As for Denmark, it has a national liberation day and some people celebrate international worker's day, but neither is a public holiday. Delaware Hawaii Kentucky Louisiana Montana New Jersey New York Ohio Puerto Rico Virginia West Virginia While Tuesdays have been custom for elections in the United States, Sunday is the day of. 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! Read More, Election Day is a holiday in Puerto Rico. 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. 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. But none of those states have considerably high turnout compared to those where it isn't a holiday. Why Election Day is on a Tuesday in November in the U.S. | Pew Research 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. 2. Tuesday was selected because it was the most convenient. A National Day is a date for a country to celebrate its nationhood. [8][15] A holiday for elections sidesteps the issue of a weekend election, which could conflict with religious obligations. A National Day is a date for a country to celebrate its nationhood. Mail-in voting starts 1 month before polls open. 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. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. 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. Right now, federal elections are always held on Tuesdays, because farmers in the 1840s needed multiple days to get to the . Sunday: the second Sunday of March for Congress, and the second Sunday of May for President and Vice President. Sometimes, specific ballot measures can influence voter turnout: in the UK, the Brexit vote resulted in a 72% turnout, slightly higher than the average of 69%. Making the presidential election a national holiday is another way to get people to the polls. 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. [31][32] Trying one of these alternatives would avoid the negative economic impact of closing businesses for Election Day. [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. Unlike Singapore, South Korea and Israel, Canada has not declared election days as public holidays. And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who don't to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. Is Election Day a national holiday? Why you don't get the day off 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. Most National Days are fixed, exceptions to this are shown below. Proponents say the Electoral College ensures everyone selects the president. Last Tuesday was election day in the United States, and this year we voted in the midterm elections. 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. [16]. [14], Pew Research Center found that 71% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans support making Election Day a federal holiday. 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. States such as Georgia and Iowa already have passed restrictive measures and many others appear poised to do the same thing. Think about it. 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. It commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a reverend and civil . procon@eb.com, 2022 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. This map, inspired by a Reddit thread with a similar map, shows the national days of the world's countries. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Modern life operates around the clock. Democratic rights are much easier to end than they are to restore, so the federal government must respond to the wave of voter suppression overtaking the states with decisive, expansive action. ", "An overall look at Vietnam's election law", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Election_day&oldid=1136894393. For more on the debate about making election day a national holiday, visit ProCon.org. 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. 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. 26 th January (Republic Day), 15 th August (Independence Day) and 2 nd October (Gandhi Jayanti). Proponents say teens are knowledgeable enough to vote. 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? The ideal solution is simple: Congress should make Election Day a national holiday, or move Election Day to the weekend. 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. "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. Would turnout go up if we didn't have to vote on a workday? Democracy on the ballot will the remaining election deniers succeed? With those options early in-person voting and more voter awareness on how to vote by mail voter turnout appears to be trending upward. Updates? 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 very high turnout via universal voting and time off for voting. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. Compulsory voting does not necessarily guarantee 100% turnout rates, however, though they still see higher rates than countries which do not require it. Like Perez, Becker thinks giving voters more time and opportunity to vote is the best approach. Whether election day in the United States should be made a national holiday is debated. Opponents say kids arent mature enough to vote. OK, so why Tuesday? The pros and cons of the felon voting debate include arguments about the social contract, voting while in prison, and paying debts. Presidential elections are held every four years, in years divisible by four, while the elections to the . Concentrating voters into a single day risks congesting polling places, even more so than some already are. From 2021, the first Sunday of June. 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. The correct answer is B. Advertisement Advertisement marberman marberman However, those numbers may be attributed to a combination of factors not solely because their elections occur on non-work days. Omissions? Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. The U.S. is one of only nine member nations that have weekday voting. 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. COLUMN: Point Counterpoint: There are pros and cons to making Election South Africa's is from the first democratic elections, in 1994. And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who dont to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. Election Day is already a holiday for state employees in more than a dozen states including Kentucky, Michigan, and New York. ], ProCon.org, "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons,", ProCon.org, "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons. Twenty-seven of the 36 member countries, hold their elections on the weekend. 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. There is a "need to make voting more accessible, to make it more of a civic duty, to make sure that people don't have to choose between their job and their ability to cast the ballot are issues that are more prominent today than ever before," she told CBS News. Furthermore, making this small shift would celebrate the purpose and sacrifice of our fighting forces. People literally cannot get to the polling booth because it may close at 7 o'clock and they're working later. 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. Do you think it's time for the US to follow their lead? Is Election Day a Holiday in Your State? | RepresentUs ", ProCon.org. [4][5], The United States currently has 10 national holidays, including Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Christmas Day. Think of things such as voter ID laws, lowering the voting age, and abolishing the Electoral College. The types of workers least likely to reap the benefits of a federal holiday are those who already struggle to vote, Shineman noted. Obama Expresses Support For Making Election Day A National Holiday 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. These numbers also may be indicative of higher turnout for major elections, but may not reflect engagement in local or regional elections. 2) Most other countries are shaped by relatively recent revolutions. Is Election Day a Federal Holiday? - Newsweek 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 founding fathers at first only granted white, male property owners the right to vote, so the expansion of voting rights has taken some time. "With the variety of challenges that election officials face, [making Election Day a holiday] is well down on the list of those things that need to be addressed," Becker said. [8], In the 2016 presidential election, 55.7% of the American voting-age population cast a ballot. Why or why not? Change often comes slowly, subtly. Tuesday is Election Day, but only in some parts of the country will voters get the day off to cast their ballots. American election laws have been reformed before with minimal impact on voter turnout which remains low compared to other democracies around the world. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents and 59% of Republicans and GOP leaners said they would support making Election Day a national holiday. by country by date 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. It's amazing how much of the map is green, indicating countries that celebrate a national independence day every year. ABUJA, Nigeria -- Nigeria's election commission announced the first results late Sunday from the country's closely watched presidential election, but it could days . [10][11]] Estonia This tiny Baltic nation is making waves for introducing something that seems completely logical in the digital age -- online voting. ", Obama: "Absolutely. 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). Whether election day should be made a national holiday is debated. [1], An election day usually culminates in an election night when the results of the election are tallied and winners are announced.[2]. List two to three ways. 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. Here are five reasons why Election Day should be a national holiday. 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. Countries outpacing the U.S. include the U.K, Mexico and Canada. "We already know how to make voting convenient to voters that's by offering them options, like making an election season rather than election day," he said. Americans are working all the time. 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. Make Election Day a national holiday - Brookings This year, Election . Maybe Making Election Day a National Holiday Wouldn't Really Work First Sunday of July until 2018. Until 2009, elections were held over several consecutive Sundays. But some election analysts told CBS News that making Election Day a holiday is not a way to make voting easier. [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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. A number of bills like the Weekend Voting Act have been proposed in Congress over the years, often by Democrats. Should the United States Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections? Others have suggested making Veterans Day (Nov. 11), which is already a paid national holiday, Election Day. And in Australia, there is a fine. [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. 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. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. Should Election Day Be a Holiday? Here Are Some Pros and Cons
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