ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. [20][21][22] A part-time hourly worker is more likely to have multiple jobs, none of which are likely to offer time off for a national holiday. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Congress would shore up the peoples right to vote while guaranteeing the time to engage in this fundamental right. There is no fixed election day for general elections, although since 1986 every general election has been held on Sunday. In many other democracies around the world, national elections are held on the weekend or are a federal holiday. Countries that hold the ballot before Sunday are not permitted to announce results until all other countries have finished voting. Elections to the Bundestag may be held on another public holiday. Elections Project, which is close to the complete voter . Sunday: first Sunday of February for the President, Vice-President, and Legislative Assembly; second Sunday of February for municipal elections. Voters in more than one-third of the country enjoy some form of an Election Day holiday, according to RepresentUs. In fact, in Estonia, the option tovoteonlineis becoming increasingly popular. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. 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. 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. 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. This article was published more than10 years ago. 20, 2018, Annie McDonald, "Ensuring Access to Election Day for All, bppj.berkely.edu, Nov. 6, 2018, Suzanne Lucas, "No, Election Day Should Not Be a Federal Holiday, inc.com, Oct. 24, 2016, Kenneth Quinnell, "Know Your Rights: State Laws on Employee Time off to Vote, aflicio.org, Nov. 5, 2016, Osita Nwanevu, "Maybe Making Election Day a National Holiday Wouldnt Really Work, slate.com, Nov. 3, 2016, Abigail Hess, "A Record 44% of US Employers Will Give Their Workers Paid Time off to Vote This Year, cnbc.com, Oct. 31, 2018, Make Time to Vote, homepage, maketimetovote.org (accessed Sep. 24, 2019), Rose Marcario, "Time to Vote, patagonia.com, Sep. 24, 2018, Danielle Root and Liz Kennedy, "Increasing Voter Participation in America, americanprogress.org, July 11, 2018, Kelly Born, "Increasing Voter Turnout: What, If Anything, Can Be Done?, ssir.org, Apr. 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. I'll look into this some more and may change it on the map. National Holiday Act in India - Laws for Festival, Public Holidays 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. 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. In 2018, a Pewstudy found that 65% of Americans favored making Election Day a national holiday. the Tuesday that occurs within November 2 to November 8. 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. Right now, federal elections are always held on Tuesdays, because farmers in the 1840s needed multiple days to get to the . Holidays, law.cornell.edu (accessed Sep. 30, 2019), Matthew Haag, "Mitch McConnell Calls Push to Make Election Day a Holiday a Democratic Power Grab," nytimes.com, Jan. 31, 2019, Drew DeSilver, "U.S. Trails Most Developed Countries in Voter Turnout, pewresearch.org, May 21, 2018, Gustavo Lpez and Antonio Flores, "Dislike of Candidates or Campaign Issues Was Most Common Reason for Not Voting in 2016, pewresearch.org, June 1, 2017, Beau C. Tremitiere, "Election Day Should Be a National Holiday, cnbc.com, July 5, 2016, York Dispatch Editorial Board, "Editorial: On Voting, GOP Takes a Holiday from its Senses, yorkdispatch.com, Feb. 1, 2019, Tacey Rychter, "How Compulsory Voting Works: Australians Explain," nytimes.com, Nov. 5, 2018, Archon Fung and Jane Mansbridge, "Lets Vote, Party and Celebrate American Democracy on a New Holiday Called Citizen Day, usatoday.com, Oct. 26, 2018, Thomas MacMillan, "This Might Be the Best Idea for Turning out More Voters in U.S. Elections, nymag.com, July 8, 2017, Drew Desilver, "Weekday Elections Set the U.S. apart from Many Other Advanced Democracies, pewresearch.org, Nov. 6, 2018, Kathy Frankovic, "St. Patricks Day Not So Popular - Americans Would Rather Election Day a Holiday, today.yougov.com, Mar. We're familiar with how voting works in the U.S.when we vote, how we vote, who we vote forbut do you know what voting is like in other countries around the world? The pros and cons of the felon voting debate include arguments about the social contract, voting while in prison, and paying debts. Should Election Day Be a Holiday? - Homepage | Morningside Center for Why Election Day is on a Tuesday in November in the U.S. | Pew Research ELECTION DAY - November 7, 2023 - National Today Compared to other developed countries, America's voter turnout rate is pretty sad. 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. Presidential elections are held every four years, in years divisible by four, while the elections to the . Election Day - Tuesday, Nov. 8 - is a special day, with voters casting ballots across the country. A number of bills like the Weekend Voting Act have been proposed in Congress over the years, often by Democrats. 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. It was created in 1992,. 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. 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. Such a change would mostly benefit white-collar workers instead of the lower-income workers its designed to help. Modern life operates around the clock. In 2018, the general election was held on Wednesday. [31]. With those options early in-person voting and more voter awareness on how to vote by mail voter turnout appears to be trending upward. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a group that includes 36 countries. 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. Proponents say the Electoral College ensures everyone selects the president. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. So, focusing voting efforts to one day doesn't do enough to accommodate everyone, Becker argues. Thats not to say no one has tried. Why Election Day Isn't a National Holiday in the US - Business Insider Most of these 19 states' policies only cover general elections, though. So when faced with choices like having to take unpaid time off work to vote, waking at the wee hours of the morning to vote so that they're not late to work, standing in hours-long lines with everyone else who waited until after the workday to cast their ballot, or simply not voting at all, many choose the latter. Four more states only provide time off for biennial, even-year elections: Delaware, Louisiana, Michigan and New Hampshire. Why isn't Election Day a national holiday yet? - CNN However, for the most part, most countries vote in person at the voting booth, and while countries may alter the length of election periods andthe equipment used in voting from election to election, it still tends to have many of the same features. But they never go far and die in committee without a vote. Election Day is not a national holiday in 2022, but some states require employees get paid time off to vote. [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. 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. Rose Marcario, CEO, stated, demonstrating your companys commitment to voting will reinforce how essential it is that every eligible voter shows up. 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. #FridayNight | #FridayNight | By Citizen TV Kenya - Facebook It happens to be on the day the politicians themselves get elected. 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. Last modified on October 1, 2020. 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those countries. Like Perez, Becker thinks giving voters more time and opportunity to vote is the best approach. Is Election Day a Holiday in Your State? | RepresentUs Some countries, including Belgium and Turkey, see such high voter turnout mainly because of their compulsory voting laws. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Proponents say teens are knowledgeable enough to vote. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. Experts told CBS News that it's no coincidence this is occurring in a year when Americans have more time and more ways to vote than ever before. In Switzerland, only one canton (or member state) requires voting; it is voluntary all other cantons of the country. Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard Newsela | Should Election Day become a national holiday? [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. In the US, Election Day is not a national holiday. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Mr. CHRISTENSEN: One of the biggest countries that uses compulsory voting is Australia. 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. As for Denmark, it has a national liberation day and some people celebrate international worker's day, but neither is a public holiday. These include national, state, and local government representatives at all levels up to the president. Declaring Election Day a holiday has been proposed various times in Congress; it's a popular idea. That means the stock market will be open, and so will. 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. 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." 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. Some countries, about 27 of them,make voting compulsory. However, those numbers may be attributed to a combination of factors not solely because their elections occur on non-work days. 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. Public holidays in Belgium in 2022 and 2023 | Expatica Is Election Day a national holiday? Why you don't get the day off In a number of states, polling places have been closed in minority neighborhoods, which has created long lines and tremendous inconvenience for affected votersinconvenience with a cost, especially for those paid hourly wages. On U.S. Election Day, A Look At How Others Vote : NPR Yet, few of us, especially those who have worked on Capitol Hill, harbor . Whether election day in the United States should be made a national holiday is debated. 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. Countries that have weekend or holiday elections do tend to have better turnout overall. I think, to the best of my knowledge, it's something like $20. Japan formally celebrates the anniversary of an ancient mythical emperor, although the holiday is mostly ignored today, due in part to its connections with Japan's ugly imperial history. Last Tuesday was election day in the United States, and this year we voted in the midterm elections. - 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. 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. Updates? Georgia grassroots groups helped Biden win. 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. 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. Or is it an optimistic idea that would exclude already disadvantaged voters while failing to increase turnout? [10][11]] Should the United States use the Electoral College in presidential elections? And in Australia, there is a fine. [ 18][ 19] Con 1 1. Traditionally on weekends. [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. Start the discussion over on our Facebook page, and let us know about civic engagement in your town, state, or country! 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. It would give people time to vote. Election Day should be a 'day off,' U.S. President Joe Biden says Opponents say it allows only a few states to select the president. Where is Election Day a holiday? - The Fulcrum Election day should be a national holiday. Which type of claim is this Presidential and semipresidential systems, Constituencies: districting and apportionment. Election Day in the United States of America is the Tuesday following the first Monday in November. Let us make it as easy as we can," Sanders told CBS News. 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. As old as all of these societies are, their senses of national identity are commemorated by remarkably recent events. First Sunday of July until 2018. [3] In 1800, 83% of the American labor force was agrarian, but today only 11% of total US employment is agriculture-related. 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%. 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. Many Americans know that Election Day is a Tuesday, but few know why. Passing voting rights reform will be a crucial component of this response, as would making Election Day a national holiday. Some businesses may close, but their hourly paid employees will either have to use a PTO day or not get paid.. Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? Corrections? Theyare still considerably higher than in the United States, which typically sees about 65% on average turn out to vote for major elections. Russia's national holiday only goes back to 1992, when the Russian Federation was founded. - 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? Before that point, states could hold their presidential elections on any day within a certain 34-day window. [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). Sweden came second with 82.6%. Vanita Gupta, CEO of the Leadership Conference on Human and Civil Rights, is working to increase voter participation and decrease voter disenfranchisement. COLUMN: Point Counterpoint: There are pros and cons to making Election Should the United States Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections? This year, Election . Why isn't Election Day a national holiday in the US? - KHOU Litigation pending before the Supreme Court this term in Brnovich v. DNC, however, threatens to undermine this rule. For federal offices (president, vice president, and United States Congress) and most gubernatorial offices (all except for . Rather, federal elections are held on the third Monday of October, every four years . However, rules, dates and deadlines vary by state, which can be confusing to some voters. American election laws have been reformed before with minimal impact on voter turnout which remains low compared to other democracies around the world. Election Day is a state holiday in Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York. 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. Lists national days around the world by country or date. 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. It is set by statute as "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November.". Make election day a national holiday : r/WhitePeopleTwitter - reddit