In Sweden, for example, 83% of registered voters participated in the 2014 national . President Obama likes the idea of changing the way or the day Americans vote. Last Tuesday was election day in the United States, and this year we voted in the midterm elections. 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. 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. 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. 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. "[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. Election Day is observed on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, taking place on November 7 this year. 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. 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. Furthermore, making this small shift would celebrate the purpose and sacrifice of our fighting forces. 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. [1], Over time, voting rights expanded from only white, male landowners age 21 and older to include women and people of color, as well as citizens age 18 and up, resulting in a dramatic increase in the voting-eligible population and a shift in voter demographics. Explore which countries have weekend voting with Pew Research. All federal elections take place the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. [36]. 2. It would give people time to vote. History of Election Day South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal 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." In the 2016 election, only 56% of voting-age Americans cast their ballots. Most National Days are fixed, exceptions to this are shown below. 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. The answer dates back to 1845, when Congress passed a law declaring that federal elections would be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation.Many countries commemorate their independence from a colonial empire.. Not all countries mark independence as a national holiday. 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. Election officials in various states have predicted historic levels of turnout in 2020, with a chance to reach the highest ever. Should the United States use the Electoral College in presidential elections? Election Day isn't a national holiday in the US, but some people think it should be. 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. 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. Tuesday is Election Day, but only in some parts of the country will voters get the day off to cast their ballots. 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. 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those countries. Sunday: first Sunday of February for the President, Vice-President, and Legislative Assembly; second Sunday of February for municipal elections. It is the day when popular ballots are held to select public officials. 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. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. [1], An election day usually culminates in an election night when the results of the election are tallied and winners are announced.[2]. 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. CBS News reporter covering climate change and energy. (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.). This is the day we cast ballots to select public officials from local to the national government. Updates? 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. At the top of his list: making Election Day a national holiday. 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.". Because the impact of a federal holiday is far-reaching, many states and workplaces would likely follow suit. Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. 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. 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. 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. 2. Examine this opinion article from Evil HR Lady Suzanne Lucas on why election day should not be a national holiday. This page was last edited on 1 February 2023, at 18:43. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Some countries, including Belgium and Turkey, see such high voter turnout mainly because of their compulsory voting laws. ProCon.org. House Democrats introduced their first piece of legislation in the new Congress this week, an anti-corruption bill that proposes making Election Day a federal holiday and encourages . Opponents say kids arent mature enough to vote. Approximately two million people who work for the federal government would be given a paid day off, and private companies might follow suit. In some of these countries, voting is compulsory, and in most of them, Election Day is a holiday. Rather, federal elections are held on the third Monday of October, every four years . The ideal solution is simple: Congress should make Election Day a national holiday, or move Election Day to the weekend. 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. All rights reserved. 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. 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. These efforts challenge fundamental values of American democracy and constitute a serious threat to the one person, one vote principle. Compulsory voting does not necessarily guarantee 100% turnout rates, however, though they still see higher rates than countries which do not require it. 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. Without this simple step toward turning out as many Americans as possible to vote, any reform will be incomplete. So far this year, hundreds of bills have been introduced that could have the effect of suppressing peoples right to vote. Mail-in voting starts 1 month before polls open. 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. Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard There are many ways to boost voter turnout expanding early voting, automatically registering voters, and improving civic education programs . 5. Part of HuffPost Home & Living. 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. These numbers also may be indicative of higher turnout for major elections, but may not reflect engagement in local or regional elections. a list of voting rights provisions he would support. 25, 2016, Chris Talgo, "Make Election Day a National Holiday? - 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? Some businesses may close, but their hourly paid employees will either have to use a PTO day or not get paid.. 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. He concluded that having an election holiday, by itself, is not an effective strategy to increase voter turnout. [34], Automatic voter registration, by contrast, could register an additional 22 million people and create 7.9 million new voters nationwide within a year. 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. As for Denmark, it has a national liberation day and some people celebrate international worker's day, but neither is a public holiday. As of mid-May Republicans in 48 states have introduced 389 bills that would reduce the hours polls are open; forbid people from eating or drinking while waiting in line to vote; close voter registration on Sundays, when Black churches traditionally have organized their members to register and vote; repeal no excuse absentee voting; and create a long list of other barriers to voting. After all, what do our veterans fight for, if not for democracy itself? Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. 3. First published on October 26, 2020 / 10:57 AM. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. But some think it should be. 26 th January (Republic Day), 15 th August (Independence Day) and 2 nd October (Gandhi Jayanti). A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. A simple but effective change, however, could be made in election timing. 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. One major reason: It comes down to tradition, Troy said. 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. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. Argentina has instated compulsory voting laws, but only sees about 76% voter turnout. Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Incidentally, Australia routinely reaches more than 90. Explain your answer. Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey agrees. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. 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. 1, which adds a new paid holiday for federal employees every other year. 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. Today in my country it is a national holiday as we celebrate the day when St. Paul converted our whole country to Catholicism in AD 60. Saudi Arabia's marks the 1932 unification of the country. Monday in early September. Rose Marcario, CEO, stated, demonstrating your companys commitment to voting will reinforce how essential it is that every eligible voter shows up. "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons." An additional day off school would prove to be problematic for individuals who may not have other readily accessible forms of childcare. [24], People who have already suffered significant disenfranchisement, such as women and people of color, are more likely to be working those low-income jobs that wouldnt get the time off to vote even on a national holiday. Skip Navigation 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. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. 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. 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. Virginia joined these states in April this year. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider [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. [6] Election Day could be made a holiday if a bill were passed by the House and Senate then signed into law by the president. 27 September (Wednesday): Day of the French-speaking Community - commemorates the victory of the patriots against the Dutch army in Brussels in 1830. 2) Most other countries are shaped by relatively recent revolutions. 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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Start the discussion over on our Facebook page, and let us know about civic engagement in your town, state, or country! Sunday. In the 2016 presidential election, 60% of the eligible voting population vast a vote; this year, a staggering 47.5%participated in the midterms, compared to 37% in 2014 and 41% in 2010, the years of other midterm elections. 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%. 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. Essential reporting and analysis from correspondents around the world. What other improvements could be made to voting and Election Day? It is very, very hard to change core American traditions which Americans see not only as propping up their democracy but perpetuating its legitimacy, he said. ", "An overall look at Vietnam's election law", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Election_day&oldid=1136894393. Managing Editor They stated, Citizen Day would do more than give our democracy the honor that it deserves; it would help our democracy work better. Elections Project, which is close to the complete voter . 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. [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. As a holiday, that means several millions of people would have the day off from work or school, making it way . 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those . This is partially due to the influence of Protestantism, which historically set restrictions on activities other than church-going during the Sabbath (usually considered as falling on a Sunday). US voter turnout trails most developed countries. 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. Its hard to say. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
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