Make Election Day a national holiday - Brookings Americans are working all the time. 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. [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. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, 2020 North Macedonian parliamentary election, "THE ELECTORAL CODE OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA. In theory, it seems that any move that would make it easier for Americans to vote would increase participation. But experts say improving voter turnout is a complicated issue that no single silver bullet strategy can solve. What other improvements could be made to voting and Election Day? In some of these countries, voting is compulsory, and in most of them, Election Day is a holiday. Most National Days are fixed, exceptions to this are shown below. In the US, Election Day is not a national holiday. Even among the nine weekday voting countries, South Korea's and Israel's voters take a day off work on the day of the election to ensure higher electoral participation. Because the impact of a federal holiday is far-reaching, many states and workplaces would likely follow suit. 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. Exact date set by the. 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those . "Election Day should be a national holiday so that everyone has the time and opportunity to vote," Sanders' website reads. Elections Held on Tuesdays?, britannica.com (accessed Sep. 30, 2019), Evan Andrews, "Election 1010: Why Do We Vote on a Tuesday in November?, history.com, Aug. 31, 2018, Grace Panetta and Olivia Reaney, "Today Is National Voter Registration Day. 0:58. However, making National Election Day a holiday will disadvantage low-income and blue . Of these countries, 27 hold their national elections on a weekend. Some countries use electronic voting machines, such as India, while others rely on paper ballots, such as Zimbabwe. This . According to Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus, Australia adopted compulsory voting in 1924 after turnout there dropped to less than 60 percent in 1922. 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. Canada's turnout is about the same as the United States', with an average of 68%, and though one canton in Switzerland has a compulsory voting law, for the country as a whole turnout is around 49%, one of the lowest rates in OECD countries. Maybe that could give us some hint as to the frequent foreign sensitivities and accusations, right or wrong, about Western foreign policy echoing old colonial practices. 2. Consider the pandemic, which has not given essential workers more time off. 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. Fourth Sunday of October immediately before the end of the current mandates. 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 . Virginia joined these states in April this year. Examine this opinion article from Evil HR Lady Suzanne Lucas on why election day should not be a national holiday. ", 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. Currently, 22 countries around the world have mandatory voting, and ten of those countries enforce the policy, including Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Peru, and Switzerland. November 7, 2023. Furthermore, making this small shift would celebrate the purpose and sacrifice of our fighting forces. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? When turnout is high, it becomes increasingly fruitless for politicians to play to their base in ways that allow a vocal minority to rule, which is how many American leaders currently operate. The U.S. House of Representatives just passed H.R. 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. 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. Sign up to receive a weekly email update on forthcoming public holidays around the world in your inbox every Sunday. Is Election Day a national holiday? Why you don't get the day off Presidential and semipresidential systems, Constituencies: districting and apportionment. 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. 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. All rights reserved. Why Election Day Should Be A National Holiday Some countries, including Belgium and Turkey, see such high voter turnout mainly because of their compulsory voting laws. However, rules, dates and deadlines vary by state, which can be confusing to some voters. By Monday morning, nearly 60 million had already voted early across the country, closing in on half of 2016's total voter turnout. 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those countries. Tuesday was selected because it was the most convenient. [18][19], Federal law doesnt require private employers to give employees paid federal holidays. This page was last edited on 1 February 2023, at 18:43. For rest of the festival holidays the declaration . It can fall on or between November 2 and November 8. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. Is Election Day a national holiday? Why you don't get the day off https://www.britannica.com/question/Should-election-day-be-made-a-national-holiday. 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. Explore which countries have weekend voting with Pew Research. In 2018, the general election was held on Wednesday. Tuesday was chosen because it was most convenient for farmers traveling by horse and buggy at the time. By law, polling day is a public holiday if it falls on a weekday. Approximately two million people who work for the federal government would be given a paid day off, and private companies might follow suit. "Election Day as a national holiday would mean things like perhaps reduced schedules for public transportation, schools being closed, hourly workers perhaps being incentivized to work more with time and a half. Voters in more than one-third of the country enjoy some form of an Election Day holiday, according to RepresentUs. 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.". 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. Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard Many other democracies make election day a holiday and they all have higher voter turnout than we do. "We should be making it easier for people to vote, not harder. Declaring Election Day a holiday has been proposed various times in Congress; it's a popular idea. Mail-in voting starts 1 month before polls open. 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. 25, 2016, Chris Talgo, "Make Election Day a National Holiday? In fact, in Estonia, the option tovoteonlineis becoming increasingly popular. 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. TOP QUESTION Whether election day in the United States should be made a national holiday is debated. Election Day in USA in 2023 | Office Holidays Presidential elections are held every four years, in years divisible by four, while the elections to the . [14], Pew Research Center found that 71% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans support making Election Day a federal holiday. Maybe Making Election Day a National Holiday Wouldn't Really Work Elections to the Bundestag may be held on another public holiday. 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. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. [10][11]] Essential reporting and analysis from correspondents around the world. 2) Most other countries are shaped by relatively recent revolutions. Presented by:Defense Language and National Security Education Office, 60% of the eligible voting population vast a vote, looked at a few different methods of voting. 3. Public holidays in Belgium in 2022 and 2023 | Expatica For more information on how to vote, head over to our TurboVote module. It's Time to Make Election Day a National Holiday (Once - HuffPost In-person polls open Sunday at 12:01am, close Saturday at 11:59pm. While countries like Belgium, Sweden, and Turkey saw more than 80% of their estimated voting-age population cast votes in recent elections, less than 56% of the estimated voting-age population in the US voted during the 2016 presidential election. Voting Around the World - Home | CultureReady 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). Israel and South Korea hold their elections on weekdays, but they're national holidays. Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? Today in my country it is a national holiday as we celebrate the day Countries that hold the ballot before Sunday are not permitted to announce results until all other countries have finished voting. These numbers also may be indicative of higher turnout for major elections, but may not reflect engagement in local or regional elections. It is set by statute as "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November.". Georgia grassroots groups helped Biden win. Most of these 19 states' policies only cover general elections, though. Will the party listen to them on the issues? 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. ProCon.org. 1. In a number of states, polling places have been closed in minority neighborhoods, which has created long lines and tremendous inconvenience for affected votersinconvenience with a cost, especially for those paid hourly wages. Reformers will be far more successful adding a few days or options or opportunities than trying to undo Election Day.. Is Election Day a Federal Holiday? - Newsweek Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. - Vincent Hutchings, a University of Michigan political science professor, - Gil Troy, American presidential historian, Whether accurate or not, elected officials likely think that making it easier to vote would advantage one party traditionally it is believed to help the Democrats at the, Joaquin Corbalan / EyeEm via Getty Images, as travel and communication improved in the 19th century, being too busy or having a conflicting schedule, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, substantially increase the cost of running elections, move that would make it easier for Americans to vote, The types of workers least likely to reap the benefits. But Gupta said that there's been a "lack of political will" to give the initiative some momentum. In Australia, all citizens of age to vote are required, and if they fail to do so, they face fines. Proponents say the Electoral College ensures everyone selects the president. Georgias voter suppression bill is an assault on our democracy, Republicans in 48 states have introduced 389 bills, Tracking regulatory changes in the Biden era. 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. 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 should be a national holidayCommentary - CNBC But some election analysts told CBS News that making Election Day a holiday is not a way to make voting easier. Election Day is the day for general elections of public officials in the U.S. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. Plus, some experts say moving to weekend voting could substantially increase the cost of running elections. 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. A National Day is a date for a country to celebrate its nationhood. Election Practices in Other Countries That America Could Learn From Is Election Day a Federal Holiday? - NBC Chicago procon@eb.com, 2022 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. the Tuesday that occurs within November 2 to November 8.