National and Festival Holiday Act, which is applicable to all establishments in the country, irrespective of under which law it is formed it is mandatory to grant leave on following 3 days, i.e. 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. [36]. [26] Caravanas are joyful, noisy parades of cars festooned with flags and other decorations that stream through Puerto Ricos streets ahead of an election and are credited with the islands over 80% voter turnout. Should election day be made a national holiday? All federal elections take place the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. For federal offices (president, vice president, and United States Congress) and most gubernatorial offices (all except for . While making Election Day a national holiday or moving it to the weekend would by no means be a cure-all, it could be used in conjunction with other strategies like automatic voter registration (nearly 87% of registered voters participated in the 2016 election), restoring voting rights for formerly incarcerated people and removing other barriers such as voter ID requirements and voter roll purges that often disenfranchise people of color. 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. So, since this effort does not receive bipartisan support, it is difficult to enact.. So the question of how you label Ireland goes back to which holiday you consider its national day. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. Other countries may only require it of certain people, and otherwise make it voluntary for others. 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 correct answer is B. Advertisement Advertisement marberman marberman Election officials in various states have predicted historic levels of turnout in 2020, with a chance to reach the highest ever. 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. Most National Days are fixed, exceptions to this are shown below. Vanita Gupta, CEO of the Leadership Conference on Human and Civil Rights, is working to increase voter participation and decrease voter disenfranchisement. ProCon.org. a list of voting rights provisions he would support. To make Election Day a national holiday, it would take an act of Congress, and so far, no bills proposing such action have passed. 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. One major reason: It comes down to tradition, Troy said. 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. "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.". 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. Ralph Northam signed into law a measure that, among other things, makes Election Day a state holiday in the commonwealth. All 435 representatives were up for re-election, as well as a third ofsenators, and countless elections for governors, mayors, state legislators, and local government across the country. 1. The US ranks 26th out of 32 for voter turnout among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. It worked. It's amazing how much of the map is green, indicating countries that celebrate a national independence day every year. They stated, Citizen Day would do more than give our democracy the honor that it deserves; it would help our democracy work better. [14], Pew Research Center found that 71% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans support making Election Day a federal holiday. 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. Should the United States Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections? As for Denmark, it has a national liberation day and some people celebrate international worker's day, but neither is a public holiday. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider [31]. ], ProCon.org, "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons,", ProCon.org, "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons. This article is about the general term "election day" worldwide. Puerto Rico's voter turnout has gone as high as 80 . [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. States such as Georgia and Iowa already have passed restrictive measures and many others appear poised to do the same thing. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. [18][19], Federal law doesnt require private employers to give employees paid federal holidays. Senator Bernie Sanders has certainly tried heintroducedthe "Democracy Day Act" in 2018, which proposed making Election Day a federal holiday. This article was published more than10 years ago. Sunday: first Sunday of February for the President, Vice-President, and Legislative Assembly; second Sunday of February for municipal elections. 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. "Voting is a fundamental right,. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. 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. [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. Consider, for example, the national days of France and Germany: the former marks the French revolution, in 1789, and the latter marks the German reunification in 1990. Saudi Arabia's marks the 1932 unification of the country. 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. [7] A handful of states have made election day a state holiday, including New York, Hawaii, Kentucky, and, in Apr. However, the issues vary among different demographic groups. I think, to the best of my knowledge, it's something like $20. 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. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Mr. CHRISTENSEN: One of the biggest countries that uses compulsory voting is Australia. Sweden came second with 82.6%. And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who dont to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. In fact, in Estonia, the option tovoteonlineis becoming increasingly popular. For other uses, see. Stay up to date with what you want to know. Many Americans know that Election Day is a Tuesday, but few know why. The COVID-19 pandemic convinced. An ordinary act of Congress could move Election Day to a Saturday or make it a holiday, thereby giving more people more . 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. During the 2016 presidential election, less than 56% of the estimated voting-age population in the US voted. In some states where they don't have mail-in ballots, voting can take a lot of time out of the day. 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. 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. 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. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? Furthermore, making this small shift would celebrate the purpose and sacrifice of our fighting forces. 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. By law, polling day is a public holiday if it falls on a weekday. First published on October 26, 2020 / 10:57 AM. It happens to be on the day the politicians themselves get elected. [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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The Freedom to Vote Act would make Election Day a national holiday. Elections to the Bundestag may be held on another public holiday. It commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a reverend and civil . In the US, Election Day is not a national holiday. It can fall on or between November 2 and November 8. 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. 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 is the day for general elections of public officials in the U.S. ", Others, however, are skeptical that creating a national holiday would increase voter turnout. 3. I'll look into this some more and may change it on the map. Modern life operates around the clock. Let us make it as easy as we can," Sanders told CBS News. Presidential and semipresidential systems, Constituencies: districting and apportionment. Election Day is already a holiday for state employees in more than a dozen states including Kentucky, Michigan, and New York. Rose Marcario, CEO, stated, demonstrating your companys commitment to voting will reinforce how essential it is that every eligible voter shows up. "Election day should be a national holiday" is a claim of policy because we are discussing a policy which searches a solution for the presented argument. 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. 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. Part of HuffPost Home & Living. Other countries take heroic efforts to ensure that people can vote if they desire. Explain your answer. As for Denmark, it has a national liberation day and some people celebrate international worker's day, but neither is a public holiday. 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. There are many ways to boost voter turnout expanding early voting, automatically registering voters, and improving civic education programs . Should Election Day be a national holiday? 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. Its hard to say. [ 18][ 19] Con 1 Explore which countries have weekend voting with Pew Research. First Sunday of October. In Estonia, a national ID card (required for every citizen in the country) can be used to vote remotely. At the top of his list: making Election Day a national holiday. Many other democracies make election day a holiday and they all have higher voter turnout than we do. It is very, very hard to change core American traditions.. And she thinks corporate America has been leading the way, pointing out several businesses, including Walmart and Coca-Cola, that have announced paid time off and other accommodations to make voting easier for employees on November 3. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. 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. [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. 2) Most other countries are shaped by relatively recent revolutions. Omissions? Countries that have weekend or holiday elections do tend to have better turnout overall. For rest of the festival holidays the declaration . "Election Day should be a national holiday so that everyone has the time and opportunity to vote," Sanders' website reads. Again, it is not clear that this is demonstrably true but it is a widespread perception. Most others are not so recent, but still not so old: Taiwan's, for example, goes back to a 1911 uprising. Democracy on the ballot will the remaining election deniers succeed? 22 June 1986, 29 October 1989, 6 June 1993, 3 March 1996, 12 March 2000, 14 March 2004, 9 March 2008, 20 November 2011, 20 December 2015, 26 June 2016. Concentrating voters into a single day risks congesting polling places, even more so than some already are. Update: Some readers think that Ireland should also be considered an outlier, as St. Patrick's Day is often considered its primary "national day" and is not really an independence or revolution day. Delaware Hawaii Kentucky Louisiana Montana New Jersey New York Ohio Puerto Rico Virginia West Virginia While Tuesdays have been custom for elections in the United States, Sunday is the day of. 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. A number of bills like the Weekend Voting Act have been proposed in Congress over the years, often by Democrats. 0:58. And even if it were a federal holiday, that wouldn't ensure that all voting-age Americans would have the day off. 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. Whether election day should be made a national holiday is debated. Traditionally on weekends. And even a number of the blue countries, such as Australia and Canada, are actually the product of colonialism. [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. 5. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Without this simple step toward turning out as many Americans as possible to vote, any reform will be incomplete. 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. 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. Twenty-seven of the 36 member countries, hold their elections on the weekend. It was created in 1992,. Last Tuesday was election day in the United States, and this year we voted in the midterm elections. Disclaimer: Dates and Events correct at time of printing but may change without our knowledge. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. [8], Among registered voters in the 2016 US presidential election, being too busy or having a conflicting schedule was the third-highest reason cited for not voting, accounting for 14% of registered voters who did not cast a vote (about 2.7 million people). Veterans Day typically is about one week after Election Day so this would involve little disruption in terms of job schedules and monthly routines. This . They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 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.". Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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. [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. This is the day we cast ballots to select public officials from local to the national government. 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. And it will, in turn, help strengthen the idea that businesses can and will come together for a worthy common purpose: protecting our democracy by empowering all American workers to be good citizens. [30], Solutions such as automatic voter registration, same-day registration, early voting, no-excuse absentee voting, restoring voting rights to former felons, improved civics education, and voter outreach would all improve voter participation more reliably than a national holiday. Approximately two million people who work for the federal government would be given a paid day off, and private companies might follow suit. 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. US voter turnout trails most developed countries. Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard Operated 24:7 through the week. Updates? While young people are generally less likely to vote, they are more motivated by the issue of freedom of speech than older generations. 3. Will the party listen to them on the issues? All rights reserved. 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. Here are five reasons why Election Day should be a national holiday. 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. 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. These changes would send a strong rebuke to those who are attempting to scale back voting rights and make it more difficult for African-Americans and Latinos to vote. Australia sees around 91%, and 94% in Singapore. 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. 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. Why or why not? Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. 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.. We also know that countries that have marked their election days as federal events see higher voting turnouts than the United States. October 26, 2020 / 10:57 AM In previous elections, that percentage was even higher. Most National Days are fixed, exceptions to this are shown below. In 2018, the general election was held on Wednesday. [1], An election day usually culminates in an election night when the results of the election are tallied and winners are announced.[2]. Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. November 7, 2023. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. In an interview published Thursday, President Obama endorsed the idea of holding U.S. federal elections on weekends or national holidays. WASHINGTON, June 24 (Reuters) - Election Day should be a holiday for workers in the United States, President Joe Biden said on Thursday. This map, inspired by a Reddit thread with a similar map, shows the national days of the world's countries. [31][32] Trying one of these alternatives would avoid the negative economic impact of closing businesses for Election Day. According to Pew Research data, US voter turnout trails most developed countries. Fourth Sunday of October immediately before the end of the current mandates. "With the variety of challenges that election officials face, [making Election Day a holiday] is well down on the list of those things that need to be addressed," Becker said. Examine this opinion article from Evil HR Lady Suzanne Lucas on why election day should not be a national holiday. ABUJA, Nigeria -- Nigeria's election commission announced the first results late Sunday from the country's closely watched presidential election, but it could days . Some countries, about 27 of them,make voting compulsory. Tuesday is Election Day, but only in some parts of the country will voters get the day off to cast their ballots. 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. 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. ", "An overall look at Vietnam's election law", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Election_day&oldid=1136894393. ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Most recently, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont proposed a bill to designate "Democracy Day" as a national election holiday, which sits before a special committee. A National Day is a date for a country to celebrate its nationhood. This year, Election . It is set by statute as "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November.". [24] Holidays usually mean more work hours for retail workers, because stores run promotions and sales. In-person polls open Sunday at 12:01am, close Saturday at 11:59pm. Incidentally, Australia routinely reaches more than 90. Election Day is a state holiday in Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York. CBS News reporter covering climate change and energy. 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those countries. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? 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. But it is not a federal holiday. Of these countries, 27 hold their national elections on a weekend. According to Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus, Australia adopted compulsory voting in 1924 after turnout there dropped to less than 60 percent in 1922. - 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. If your thoughts have not changed, list two to three ways your better understanding of the other side of the issue now helps you better argue your position. 11 July (Tuesday): Celebration of the Golden Spurs (Day of the Flemish Community) - celebrates the victory of the count of Flanders and the borough militia against the king of France outside Courtrai. 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. 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, . ", ProCon.org. With those options early in-person voting and more voter awareness on how to vote by mail voter turnout appears to be trending upward. 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. 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. Read More, Election Day is a holiday in Puerto Rico. From 2021, the first Sunday of June. Israel and South Korea hold their elections on weekdays, but they're national holidays.
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