Change often comes slowly, subtly. 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. Additionally, many of these individuals rely on school days as childcare for their children. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. 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. https://www.britannica.com/question/Should-election-day-be-made-a-national-holiday. It was created in 1992,. We are very proud that we are mentioned in the Bible. 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. of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents and 59% of Republicans and GOP leaners said they would support making Election Day a national holiday. 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%. Theyare still considerably higher than in the United States, which typically sees about 65% on average turn out to vote for major elections. There's nothing that would stop voters here from treating a Democracy Day like just another day off.". The U.S. House of Representatives just passed H.R. 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. It is set by statute as "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November.". 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. A lot of people go to work, or they're in school during the weekday. 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those countries. Essential reporting and analysis from correspondents around the world. Exact date set by the. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. Unlike Singapore, South Korea and Israel, Canada has not declared election days as public holidays. Here are the four things I found interesting about this once as I mapped it out: 1) Yes, most of the world was shaped by colonialism. 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%. 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. Estonia This tiny Baltic nation is making waves for introducing something that seems completely logical in the digital age -- online voting. But experts say improving voter turnout is a complicated issue that no single silver bullet strategy can solve. America is walking the knifes edge between maintaining and losing democracy. Rose Marcario, CEO, stated, demonstrating your companys commitment to voting will reinforce how essential it is that every eligible voter shows up. Tuesday was selected because it was the most convenient. Should Election Day be a national holiday? Whether election day in the United States should be made a national holiday is debated. "I'm not a fan," said Eddie Perez, an election administration and election technology expert at the Open Source Election Technology (OSET) Institute. 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. 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. Because of the pandemic, more U.S. voters are exploring alternatives to voting on Election Day, such as early voting and mail-in voting. In Sweden, for example, 83% of registered voters participated in the 2014 national . Proponents say teens are knowledgeable enough to vote. 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. "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons." Presidential elections are held every four years, in years divisible by four, while the elections to the . 1, which adds a new paid holiday for federal employees every other year. It commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a reverend and civil . So, since this effort does not receive bipartisan support, it is difficult to enact.. Of these countries, 27 hold their national elections on a weekend. [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. Hailey said the country needs a "cultural shift" to prioritize voting. [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. 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. Indigenous Peoples Day is a local and state holiday in some parts of the country usually held on Columbus Day that celebrates the cultures of Native Americans. First Sunday of July until 2018. American election laws have been reformed before with minimal impact on voter turnout which remains low compared to other democracies around the world. Updated: 7:01 AM EST November 2, 2020 ATLANTA For many Americans, voting on Election Day is a tradition, and some wonder why it's not a national holiday. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Like Perez, Becker thinks giving voters more time and opportunity to vote is the best approach. But these days, Tuesdays are actually quite inconvenient for many Americans, particularly those who cant take time off work to cast their ballots a problem that disproportionately affects Black, Latino and lower-income voters. Congress would shore up the peoples right to vote while guaranteeing the time to engage in this fundamental right. Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? 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. February 26, 2023, 5:06 AM. 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. Last Tuesday was election day in the United States, and this year we voted in the midterm elections. Regional Belgian public holidays during 2023. ", Others, however, are skeptical that creating a national holiday would increase voter turnout. Read more: You can take time off from work to vote in 30 states here's the full list. However, some countries, or regions within a country, which hold elections on a weekday declare election day a public holiday. 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. 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 U.S. ranks 26th out of 32 for voter among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. 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. In theory, it seems that any move that would make it easier for Americans to vote would increase participation. 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. 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. In fact, in Estonia, the option tovoteonlineis becoming increasingly popular. According to Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus, Australia adopted compulsory voting in 1924 after turnout there dropped to less than 60 percent in 1922. ", Obama: "Absolutely. On Sunday, Virginia Democratic Gov. "Voting is a fundamental right,. 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. 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. Explain your answer. Should the United States Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections? Other countries take heroic efforts to ensure that people can vote if they desire. Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters. Election Day is the day for general elections of public officials in the U.S. Here are five reasons why Election Day should be a national holiday. Image 2. Understanding what happened in the Chicago mayoral race. The U.S. is one of only nine member nations that have weekday voting. Many Americans know that Election Day is a Tuesday, but few know why. 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. 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. 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. In some of these countries, voting is compulsory, and in most of them, Election Day is a holiday. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Part of HuffPost Home & Living. Litigation pending before the Supreme Court this term in Brnovich v. DNC, however, threatens to undermine this rule. But in many other countries, the government automatically registers voters and holds elections on days that are weekend days or national holidays. In 2018, a Pewstudy found that 65% of Americans favored making Election Day a national holiday. Democracy on the ballot will the remaining election deniers succeed? Last modified on October 1, 2020. Last week his office released a list of voting rights provisions he would support. Could that ever happen in the U.S.? Most of these 19 states' policies only cover general elections, though. 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.". Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island and New York have also made Election Day into a state holiday. Election Day as a holiday is something that exists in other countries, but not in most places in the U.S. It's an issue that comes up a lot, but never really gets much serious public debate. These include national, state, and local government representatives at all levels up to the president. Because the impact of a federal holiday is far-reaching, many states and workplaces would likely follow suit. 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.. 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. Americans are working all the time. It is very, very hard to change core American traditions.. As for Denmark, it has a national liberation day and some people celebrate international worker's day, but neither is a public holiday. Would making Election Day a federal holiday increase voter turnout and celebrate democracy? The name change required at least 50% voter participation, and opponents to the name change advocated not voting at all rather than voting against the measure. 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. Consider this: Even if Election Day were moved to a weekend or turned into a national holiday, retail and service industry employees would still need to work. All federal elections take place the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Sign up for notifications from Insider! 1. A National Day is a date for a country to celebrate its nationhood. 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. 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. It's amazing how much of the map is green, indicating countries that celebrate a national independence day every year. [7] A handful of states have made election day a state holiday, including New York, Hawaii, Kentucky, and, in Apr. 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. In addition to honoring the sacrifices veterans have made, it would remind Americans that voting is a national duty, an obligation both to one another and to the nation; and it would strengthen American democratic political culture, by way of new rituals and traditions, Jill Lepore a Harvard professor of American history wrote in an essay for Politico. 0:58. 1. [8], Among registered voters in the 2016 US presidential election, being too busy or having a conflicting schedule was the third-highest reason cited for not voting, accounting for 14% of registered voters who did not cast a vote (about 2.7 million people). Plus, some experts say moving to weekend voting could substantially increase the cost of running elections. procon@eb.com, 2022 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 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. [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. High turnout means that people are successfully exercising their rights-a good in itselfbut it also ensures the continuing health of majority rule. There are many ways to boost voter turnout expanding early voting, automatically registering voters, and improving civic education programs . Virginia joined these states in April this year. The result is voter turnout rates of 72.3% and 77.2% respectively, which is 26-32% higher than the United States. Sunday: the second Sunday of March for Congress, and the second Sunday of May for President and Vice President. "And we actually have more options than ever before.". 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. 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. 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. Here is the relevant passage from Acts 28: Australia sees around 91%, and 94% in Singapore. 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). 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). Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. This year, Election . To make Election Day a national holiday, it would take an act of Congress, and so far, no bills proposing such action have passed. However, the issues vary among different demographic groups. Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. 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. Election Day is already a holiday for state employees in more than a dozen states including Kentucky, Michigan, and New York. Early voting for the midterms varies by state. 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. So, focusing voting efforts to one day doesn't do enough to accommodate everyone, Becker argues. List two to three ways. 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. Proponents say the Electoral College ensures everyone selects the president. 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. Office Holidays provides calendars with dates and information on public holidays and bank holidays in key countries around the world. But while . Others have suggested making Veterans Day (Nov. 11), which is already a paid national holiday, Election Day. Four more states only provide time off for biennial, even-year elections: Delaware, Louisiana, Michigan and New Hampshire. Meanwhile, in Macedonia this past September, voters chose to stay away from the polls because of the proposed name change for the country. 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. as well as other partner offers and accept our. 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 . [8], In the 2016 presidential election, 55.7% of the American voting-age population cast a ballot. 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. [36]. In 2018, the general election was held on Wednesday. According to Pew Research data, US voter turnout trails most developed countries. The COVID-19 pandemic convinced. Some countries, about 27 of them, make voting compulsory. 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. 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. Most others are not so recent, but still not so old: Taiwan's, for example, goes back to a 1911 uprising. [31][32] Trying one of these alternatives would avoid the negative economic impact of closing businesses for Election Day. Countries that have weekend or holiday elections do tend to have better turnout overall. November 7, 2023. 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. Saturday, but can be any day of the week, such as when a Saturday conflicts with a holiday. In 2005, the American Bar Association looked at a few different methods of voting: in 1989 in Namibia, voters marked an X on ballots using ink on their fingers; in Bulgaria, rather than marking a ballot, voters pick from any number of sheets of paper representing specific political parties and puts it in a ballot box; and in Ireland, "they designate their top three candidates by numbering them 1, 2, and 3." 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. 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. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. [1], An election day usually culminates in an election night when the results of the election are tallied and winners are announced.[2].
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