Consider the pandemic, which has not given essential workers more time off. 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. [8], In the 2016 presidential election, 55.7% of the American voting-age population cast a ballot. 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. Think about that: In most of the world, the sense of national identity is shaped by the act of cutting, or in some cases violently throwing off, the chains of colonialism. - Zkon o podmienkach vkonu volebnh", "The Effectiveness of Early Voting A Case Study of the Republic of Korea", "Ley Orgnica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Rgimen Electoral General", "Elections in Venezuela and Pennsylvania: Lessons in Democracy? ", Obama: "Absolutely. ", "An overall look at Vietnam's election law", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Election_day&oldid=1136894393. The Freedom to Vote Act would make Election Day a national holiday. There are some exceptions; as Wednesday was not covered by the available dates, the Netherlands holds elections on Thursday, while Denmark holds elections on Sunday. I think, to the best of my knowledge, it's something like $20. [18][19], Federal law doesnt require private employers to give employees paid federal holidays. 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. Elections to the Bundestag may be held on another public holiday. 26 th January (Republic Day), 15 th August (Independence Day) and 2 nd October (Gandhi Jayanti). Should Election Day be a national holiday? These numbers also may be indicative of higher turnout for major elections, but may not reflect engagement in local or regional elections. 14, 2019, BBC, "Singapore Election: Governing Party Secure Decisive Win, bbc.com, Sep. 12, 2015, Holly Jackson, "It's Time to Make Election Day a Holiday in Law and Spirit," washingtonpost.com, Oct. 22, 2018, BCP Associates, "India Elections 2019 - Declaration of Paid Holiday on Polling Day, bcpassociates.com, Apr. 25, 2016, Chris Talgo, "Make Election Day a National Holiday? If so, how? Again, it is not clear that this is demonstrably true but it is a widespread perception. Reformers will be far more successful adding a few days or options or opportunities than trying to undo Election Day.. It commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a reverend and civil . February 26, 2023, 5:06 AM. A number of bills like the Weekend Voting Act have been proposed in Congress over the years, often by Democrats. Until 2009, elections were held over several consecutive Sundays. This article was published more than10 years ago. In an interview published Thursday, President Obama endorsed the idea of holding U.S. federal elections on weekends or national holidays. [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. There's nothing that would stop voters here from treating a Democracy Day like just another day off.". Compulsory voting does not necessarily guarantee 100% turnout rates, however, though they still see higher rates than countries which do not require it. Last week his office released a list of voting rights provisions he would support. In 2007, the country held the world's first general Internet election. 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. 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. In an interview with President Barack Obama in 2016, Dan Corey, editor-in-chief of Rutgers University's official student newspaper, The Daily Targum, asked Obama about what could be done to reverse the US's low voter turnout: The Daily Targum: "You have pointed out many times that voter turnout in the United States is very low, especially compared to other developed nations. procon@eb.com, 2022 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. First Sunday of October. 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. Election Day isn't a national holiday in the US, but some people think it should be. However, those numbers may be attributed to a combination of factors not solely because their elections occur on non-work days. Vote.org has called on Amazon, Disney, McDonald's and others to offer paid time off for employees to vote and or work the polls. During the 2016 presidential election, less than 56% of the estimated voting-age population in the US voted. 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. [1], An election day usually culminates in an election night when the results of the election are tallied and winners are announced.[2]. Think of things such as voter ID laws, lowering the voting age, and abolishing the Electoral College. Making the presidential election a national holiday is another way to get people to the polls. 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. Other politicians, businesses, and advocacy groups have voiced their approval of celebrating Election Day as a national holiday. 1. Of the nonvoters surveyed by the US Census Bureau about the 2008 presidential election, the 2012 presidential election, and numerous other elections, the most commonly cited reason for not voting was being too busy or having conflicting work schedules. For starters, the United States is rather unique in that it schedules its election day on a weekday, let alone a Tuesday. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. 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. More people would vote if they had more time to cast their ballots Furthermore, celebrating our democracy publicly would send the message that we value each others citizenship as much as we value honoring past presidents. [13], Donald Green, PhD, Burgess Professor of Political Science at Columbia University, found that nonpartisan community parties celebrating Election Day in 2005, 2006, and 2016 increased voter participation between 2.6 percentage points and about 4 percentage points. Virginia joined these states in April this year. History of Election Day Last Tuesday was election day in the United States, and this year we voted in the midterm elections. Election Day is always the first Tuesday after November 1st. This article is about the general term "election day" worldwide. 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. We also know that countries that have marked their election days as federal events see higher voting turnouts than the United States. Turning Election Day into a national holiday would instill a sense of pride in all citizens, knowing they have the ability to cast a ballot regardless of work. 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. Over 60 court cases reviewed the evidence and judgesappointed by both Republican and Democratic presidents alikereached the same conclusion: there was no compelling evidence of fraud. The U.S. is one of only nine member nations that have weekday voting. Election Day is already a holiday for state employees in more than a dozen states including Kentucky, Michigan, and New York. October 26, 2020 / 10:57 AM South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. Could that ever happen in the U.S.? Countries outpacing the U.S. include the U.K, Mexico and Canada. "Election Day really definitely does need to be a holiday," she said, adding, "We need to be able to have everybody feel like they have a great stake in it.". [10][11]] Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. [4][5], The United States currently has 10 national holidays, including Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Christmas Day. Politicians, most recently House Democrats in 2019, have also floated the idea of turning a weekday Election Day into a federal holiday, but to no avail. 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 Sweden, for example, 83% of registered voters participated in the 2014 national . 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. That's true, although the separate "National Day of Commemoration" occurs on the anniversary of the truce ending the Irish war of independence. 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. "Election Day should be a national holiday so that everyone has the time and opportunity to vote," Sanders' website reads. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Pew also found that certain issues motivate voters more than others: "health care, poverty and education are the top motivators for political engagement." From 2021, the first Sunday of June. 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 expense of the other party, the GOP, said Vincent Hutchings, a University of Michigan political science professor. Think about it. John M. Cunningham, "Why Are U.S. [31][32] Trying one of these alternatives would avoid the negative economic impact of closing businesses for Election Day. In 2018, a Pewstudy found that 65% of Americans favored making Election Day a national holiday. So far this year, hundreds of bills have been introduced that could have the effect of suppressing peoples right to vote. Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters. [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. "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. As old as all of these societies are, their senses of national identity are commemorated by remarkably recent events. Twenty-seven of the 36 member countries, hold their elections on the weekend. [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. 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. November 7, 2023. Sunday. Theyare still considerably higher than in the United States, which typically sees about 65% on average turn out to vote for major elections. Thats not to say no one has tried. However, making National Election Day a holiday will disadvantage low-income and blue . of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents and 59% of Republicans and GOP leaners said they would support making Election Day a national holiday. The U.S. ranks 26th out of 32 for voter among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. [25], According to the AFL-CIO, 30 states require employers to allow employees time off for voting. 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.. 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. Examine this opinion article from Evil HR Lady Suzanne Lucas on why election day should not be a national holiday. (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.). 3) Britain and Denmark have no national days. [28][29], Patagonia, an outdoor clothing retailer, paused operation on Nov. 6, 2018 so that all employees could vote. "[Early and at-home voting] helps prevent bottlenecks for election administrators because it 'flattens the curve' for when ballots are cast by large numbers of voters," Perez said. Tuesday was chosen because it was most convenient for farmers traveling by horse and buggy at the time. Rather than make it a national holiday where inevitably people will still have to work, change election day to election week. Corrections? 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. 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. Furthermore, making this small shift would celebrate the purpose and sacrifice of our fighting forces. In Estonia, a national ID card (required for every citizen in the country) can be used to vote remotely. Modern life operates around the clock. Election Day is the day for general elections of public officials in the 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. Why Election Day is Held on a Tuesday in November in the U.S. A Boatload of Ballots: Midterm Voter Turnout Hit 50-Year High, Estonia's i-voting: more secure, more popular, Macedonia referendum: Low voter turnout puts country's name change at risk, What Voting and Elections Look Like Around the World, X Marks the Choice: Voting Methods around the World, Defense Language and National Security Education Office. But Gupta said that there's been a "lack of political will" to give the initiative some momentum. 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. 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. 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. He says it's more important to spread voting out over a period of days and methods. Puerto Rico's voter turnout has gone as high as 80 . [16]. One major reason: It comes down to tradition, Troy said. Currently, 22 countries around the world have mandatory voting, and ten of those countries enforce the policy, including Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Peru, and Switzerland.