Election Day isn't a national holiday in the US, but some people think it should be. 4. It's a reminder of turmoil of the last century a very short span in historical terms and how deeply its events influence the world today. By comparison,. 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. Monday in early September. Tuesday was selected because it was the most convenient. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 However, making National Election Day a holiday will disadvantage low-income and blue . 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. Australia sees around 91%, and 94% in Singapore. Voters in more than one-third of the country enjoy some form of an Election Day holiday, according to RepresentUs. 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those . 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. Tuesday was chosen because it was most convenient for farmers traveling by horse and buggy at the time. Estonia is the only country to fully adopt online voting, but other countries, such as Australia, Canada, and Norway, have looked into pursuing it as an option in the future. But in many other countries, the government automatically registers voters and holds elections on days that are weekend days or national holidays. OK, so why Tuesday? 1. A National Day is a date for a country to celebrate its nationhood. Election Day is already a holiday for state employees in more than a dozen states including Kentucky, Michigan, and New York. "And we actually have more options than ever before.". But none of those states have considerably high turnout compared to those where it isn't a holiday. 0:58. That's true, although the separate "National Day of Commemoration" occurs on the anniversary of the truce ending the Irish war of independence. First published on October 26, 2020 / 10:57 AM. It is very, very hard to change core American traditions.. US voter turnout trails most developed countries. 1, which adds a new paid holiday for federal employees every other year. Because of the pandemic, more U.S. voters are exploring alternatives to voting on Election Day, such as early voting and mail-in voting. ", Others, however, are skeptical that creating a national holiday would increase voter turnout. 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. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Washington's Birthday Memorial Day Flag Day Independence Day Constitution Day Election Day Veterans Day Bill of Rights Day Martin Luther King Jr. Day Martin Luther King, Jr. Day takes place on third Monday of January each year, near the time of Dr. King's birthday on January 15th. [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. The U.S. House of Representatives just passed H.R. 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. [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. the Tuesday that occurs within November 2 to November 8. 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. So, focusing voting efforts to one day doesn't do enough to accommodate everyone, Becker argues. 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. [7] A handful of states have made election day a state holiday, including New York, Hawaii, Kentucky, and, in Apr. "Election Day should be a national holiday so that everyone has the time and opportunity to vote," Sanders' website reads. Countries that hold the ballot before Sunday are not permitted to announce results until all other countries have finished voting. Whether election day in the United States should be made a national holiday is debated. And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who don't to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. Approximately two million people who work for the federal government would be given a paid day off, and private companies might follow suit. Currently, 22 countries around the world have mandatory voting, and ten of those countries enforce the policy, including Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Peru, and Switzerland. For more on the debate about making election day a national holiday, visit ProCon.org. A number of bills like the Weekend Voting Act have been proposed in Congress over the years, often by Democrats. Most National Days are fixed, exceptions to this are shown below. American election laws have been reformed before with minimal impact on voter turnout which remains low compared to other democracies around the world. Here is the relevant passage from Acts 28: Early voting for the midterms varies by state. Think of things such as voter ID laws, lowering the voting age, and abolishing the Electoral College. Regional Belgian public holidays during 2023. That too is a reminder as to how new many of the ideas from that century, such as full enfranchisement and national self-determination, really are. In Estonia, a national ID card (required for every citizen in the country) can be used to vote remotely. Explore which countries have weekend voting with Pew Research. 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. 27 September (Wednesday): Day of the French-speaking Community - commemorates the victory of the patriots against the Dutch army in Brussels in 1830. Mr. CHRISTENSEN: One of the biggest countries that uses compulsory voting is Australia. Unlike Singapore, South Korea and Israel, Canada has not declared election days as public holidays. Voter turnout in the U.S. is generally quite low, trailing behind that of other developed democracies around the world, according to another Pew study. Georgia grassroots groups helped Biden win. 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.. In 1845, when Congress established a national election day, it had to be a Tuesday because farmers went to church on Sunday, went to market on Wednesday, and may have needed a day, Monday, to get to their polling place, Gil Troy an American presidential historian and McGill University professor told HuffPost. Election Day is not a national holiday in 2022, but some states require employees get paid time off to vote. [2] Sundays were for rest and worship, and on Wednesdays farmers typically sold their crops at the market, making Tuesdays the best day of the week. Proponents say teens are knowledgeable enough to vote. Lists national days around the world by country or date. Election day is a national holiday. Exact date set by the. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? In fact, in Estonia, the option tovoteonlineis becoming increasingly popular. Think about it. Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Proponents say the Electoral College ensures everyone selects the president. 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. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Opponents say it allows only a few states to select the president. 2) Most other countries are shaped by relatively recent revolutions. 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. 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. Third Monday of October every four years, or after Parliament is dissolved by the. This page was last edited on 1 February 2023, at 18:43. However, rules, dates and deadlines vary by state, which can be confusing to some voters. Image 2. Senator Bernie Sanders has certainly tried heintroducedthe "Democracy Day Act" in 2018, which proposed making Election Day a federal holiday. And there is no better way to secure democracy than to ensure that everyone has not only the right to vote, but also the meaningful opportunity to cast their ballots. 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. Thats not to say no one has tried. Updates? 3. First Sunday of July until 2018. 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.". These efforts challenge fundamental values of American democracy and constitute a serious threat to the one person, one vote principle. of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents and 59% of Republicans and GOP leaners said they would support making Election Day a national holiday. 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. Keep in mind that in the mid-1800s, the U.S. was largely an agricultural society. In the US, Election Day is not a national holiday. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a group that includes 36 countries. 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. Rather, federal elections are held on the third Monday of October, every four years . [17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. In the 2016 presidential election, 14% of registered voters cited being too busy or having a conflicting schedule as the main reason they didnt cast their ballots, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data. He says it's more important to spread voting out over a period of days and methods. A simple but effective change, however, could be made in election timing. 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. 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. 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. 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. For other uses, see. 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. Rather than make it a national holiday where inevitably people will still have to work, change election day to election week. America is walking the knifes edge between maintaining and losing democracy. For rest of the festival holidays the declaration . [8][15] A holiday for elections sidesteps the issue of a weekend election, which could conflict with religious obligations. However, the issues vary among different demographic groups. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. As a holiday, that means several millions of people would have the day off from work or school, making it way . But some think it should be. And even if it were a federal holiday, that wouldn't ensure that all voting-age Americans would have the day off. 1. 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). Making the presidential election a national holiday is another way to get people to the polls. 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). Other politicians, businesses, and advocacy groups have voiced their approval of celebrating Election Day as a national holiday. Saudi Arabia's marks the 1932 unification of the country. President Obama likes the idea of changing the way or the day Americans vote. Hailey said the country needs a "cultural shift" to prioritize voting. "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. [28][29], Patagonia, an outdoor clothing retailer, paused operation on Nov. 6, 2018 so that all employees could vote. Office Holidays provides calendars with dates and information on public holidays and bank holidays in key countries around the world. Voter turnout in the United States is usually considered low, especially in years without a presidential election. In Switzerland, only one canton (or member state) requires voting; it is voluntary all other cantons of the country. procon@eb.com, 2022 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Some countries, about 27 of them,make voting compulsory. Whether election day should be made a national holiday is debated. 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. However, those numbers may be attributed to a combination of factors not solely because their elections occur on non-work days. 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. Even people youd expect to know, like politicians, have been stumped by this very question. 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. 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.
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