Some countries, about 27 of them, make voting compulsory. 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. 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. 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. The United States has held federal elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years since 1845. by country by date There's nothing that would stop voters here from treating a Democracy Day like just another day off.". COLUMN: Point Counterpoint: There are pros and cons to making Election History of Election Day A simple but effective change, however, could be made in election timing. 26K views, 1.2K likes, 65 loves, 454 comments, 23 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Citizen TV Kenya: #FridayNight People literally cannot get to the polling booth because it may close at 7 o'clock and they're working later. [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. List two to three ways. With those options early in-person voting and more voter awareness on how to vote by mail voter turnout appears to be trending upward. I am from Malta - a tiny EU island nation and today we celebrate the shipwreck of St. Paul on our island. Other countries may only require it of certain people, and otherwise make it voluntary for others. Most National Days are fixed, exceptions to this are shown below. Runoffs take place on the last Sunday of the same October. The Freedom to Vote Act would make Election Day a national holiday. Obama Expresses Support For Making Election Day A National Holiday By Monday morning, nearly 60 million had already voted early across the country, closing in on half of 2016's total voter turnout. Part of HuffPost Home & Living. And even a number of the blue countries, such as Australia and Canada, are actually the product of colonialism. 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. As old as all of these societies are, their senses of national identity are commemorated by remarkably recent events. [3] In 1800, 83% of the American labor force was agrarian, but today only 11% of total US employment is agriculture-related. 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. An ordinary act of Congress could move Election Day to a Saturday or make it a holiday, thereby giving more people more . I'll look into this some more and may change it on the map. 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. ", "An overall look at Vietnam's election law", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Election_day&oldid=1136894393. Other countries take heroic efforts to ensure that people can vote if they desire. Updates? 2020, Virginia. But in many other countries, the government automatically registers voters and holds elections on days that are weekend days or national holidays. [36]. 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. 27 September (Wednesday): Day of the French-speaking Community - commemorates the victory of the patriots against the Dutch army in Brussels in 1830. 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. ELECTION DAY - November 7, 2023 - National Today Ralph Northam signed into law a measure that, among other things, makes Election Day a state holiday in the commonwealth. Election Day is not a national holiday in 2022, but some states require employees get paid time off to vote. It worked. Start the discussion over on our Facebook page, and let us know about civic engagement in your town, state, or country! In-person polls open Sunday at 12:01am, close Saturday at 11:59pm. 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. Have you experienced an election day in another country, or do you know how voting works in a place we haven't mentioned here? of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents and 59% of Republicans and GOP leaners said they would support making Election Day a national holiday. Tuesday was chosen because it was most convenient for farmers traveling by horse and buggy at the time. In some states where they don't have mail-in ballots, voting can take a lot of time out of the day. Below are the proper citations for this page according to four style manuals (in alphabetical order): the Modern Language Association Style Manual (MLA), the Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago), the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), and Kate Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Turabian). We also know that countries that have marked their election days as federal events see higher voting turnouts than the United States. 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. Countries which permit absentee ballots, early ballots or postal votes to be cast by mail before the election avoid the problem altogether by enabling voters to vote on a day that is more convenient to them. 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. It's amazing how much of the map is green, indicating countries that celebrate a national independence day every year. With just about six in 10 voters turning out to vote in the U.S., some civil rights advocates are arguing that it's about time to give Americans the day off to vote. It happens to be on the day the politicians themselves get elected. 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. Here is the relevant passage from Acts 28: [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 is very, very hard to change core American traditions.. 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. In the US, Election Day is not a national holiday. 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. The outliers are a tiny minority, and only two countries have no formal national day at all. Why Election Day Should Be A National Holiday [8][15] A holiday for elections sidesteps the issue of a weekend election, which could conflict with religious obligations. Presidential and semipresidential systems, Constituencies: districting and apportionment. Countries that have weekend or holiday elections do tend to have better turnout overall. 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 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. 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. "We should be making it easier for people to vote, not harder. Election Day is the day for general elections of public officials in the U.S. Should Election Day Be a Holiday? - The Atlantic Sunday: first Sunday of February for the President, Vice-President, and Legislative Assembly; second Sunday of February for municipal elections. 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. By comparison,. ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. American election laws have been reformed before with minimal impact on voter turnout which remains low compared to other democracies around the world. Most National Days are fixed, exceptions to this are shown below. The US ranks 26th out of 32 for voter turnout among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. We are the only advanced democracy that makes it deliberately difficult for people to vote. 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. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Sign up to receive a weekly email update on forthcoming public holidays around the world in your inbox every Sunday. According to Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus, Australia adopted compulsory voting in 1924 after turnout there dropped to less than 60 percent in 1922. In Australia, all citizens of age to vote are required, and if they fail to do so, they face fines. Newsweek subscription offers > "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. 2. Many other democracies make election day a holiday and they all have higher voter turnout than we do. Let us make it as easy as we can," Sanders told CBS News. America is walking the knifes edge between maintaining and losing democracy. The Freedom to Vote Act would make Election Day a national holiday for federal elections, meaning non-essential federal employees would get a paid day off. Should election day be made a national holiday? | Britannica Thats not to say no one has tried. [15] Israel and South Korea make national elections a holiday to avoid economic hardship for voters. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Hailey said the country needs a "cultural shift" to prioritize voting. Explain your answer. Explain your answers. Election Day is already a holiday for state employees in more than a dozen states including Kentucky, Michigan, and New York. A Pew Research Center analysis finds that 27 of the 36 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development hold their national elections on the weekend, . If you make election day a federal holiday, youll have all the people who work in these types of jobs still having to work, being inundated with customers who have the day off and they wont have child care because the schools will be closed, Suzanne Lucas, who previously worked in human resources, wrote in a piece for Inc.com. 1, which adds a new paid holiday for federal employees every other year. 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. However, making National Election Day a holiday will disadvantage low-income and blue . These include national, state, and local government representatives at all levels up to the president. 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. Congress would shore up the peoples right to vote while guaranteeing the time to engage in this fundamental right. Roughly 138 million Americans voted in the 2016 presidential election, just 61.4% of the 214,109,360 million who were registered to vote, according to The U.S. Election Assistance Commission. 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. 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 comparison, Belgium reported the highest OECD voter turnout: 87.2% in the most recent national election. Would making Election Day a federal holiday increase voter turnout and celebrate democracy? Compared to other developed countries, America's voter turnout rate is pretty sad. States such as Georgia and Iowa already have passed restrictive measures and many others appear poised to do the same thing. 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. OK, so why Tuesday? ", Obama: "Absolutely. As for Denmark, it has a national liberation day and some people celebrate international worker's day, but neither is a public holiday. In fact, these voters may be more likely to have to work as a result of a federal election holiday, where they may have had time off previously on a random Tuesday in November. Keep in mind that in the mid-1800s, the U.S. was largely an agricultural society. 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. [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. 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. 1. 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. 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. Election Day in USA in 2023 | Office Holidays In 2018, the general election was held on Wednesday. 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. Australia sees around 91%, and 94% in Singapore. For more information on how to vote, head over to our TurboVote module. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. For example, in Ecuador, only literate citizens between 18 and 65 are required to vote; those over 65 or who are not literateare not required. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? For rest of the festival holidays the declaration . While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Traditionally elections are held over two days, starting on a Friday afternoon and ending the following Saturday afternoon. Of these countries, 27 hold their national elections on a 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. Presidential elections are held every four years, in years divisible by four, while the elections to the . Rose Marcario, CEO, stated, demonstrating your companys commitment to voting will reinforce how essential it is that every eligible voter shows up. 3. [ 18][ 19] Con 1 South Africa's is from the first democratic elections, in 1994. [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. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Patriotic Holidays | National Archives 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. 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. [1] The decision was made taking into account farmers, a large portion of the voting constituency at the time, who would not have been able to travel to polling places in winter months or during planting or harvest times. 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. Over the course of three days, Estonians could vote by placing their state-issued ID cards (which have an electronic chip . Elections Project, which is close to the complete voter . 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. And I think on Election Day we should have a national holiday which says, 'you don't have to rush to vote.' Like Perez, Becker thinks giving voters more time and opportunity to vote is the best approach. Making Election Day a holiday would not necessarily involve adding a new holiday, which employers might resistparticularly following the addition of Juneteenth as a national holiday last week. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? Pew also found that certain issues motivate voters more than others: "health care, poverty and education are the top motivators for political engagement." Is Election Day a federal holiday? 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. Such a change would mostly benefit white-collar workers instead of the lower-income workers its designed to help. "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. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. While the majority of US states have voter leave laws that guarantee certain employees a modicum of time off to vote, no federal law currently mandates that employees get time off to cast their ballots. 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. Should the United States use the Electoral College in presidential elections? If Election Day were a national holiday, how would you ensure hourly and low-income workers would get a chance to vote? [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. 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. 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.
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