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. Election Day is the day for general elections of public officials in the U.S. Compared to other developed countries, America's voter turnout rate is pretty sad. And I think on Election Day we should have a national holiday which says, 'you don't have to rush to vote.' America is walking the knifes edge between maintaining and losing democracy. It was created in 1992,. 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. Unlike Singapore, South Korea and Israel, Canada has not declared election days as public holidays. Election Day is already a holiday for state employees in more than a dozen states including Kentucky, Michigan, and New York. An ordinary act of Congress could move Election Day to a Saturday or make it a holiday, thereby giving more people more . [17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. Of these countries, 27 hold their national elections on a weekend. 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. Election Practices in Other Countries That America Could Learn From Where Is Election Day a Holiday? - Ms. Magazine Election Day is a state holiday in Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York. But some think it should be. Last modified on October 1, 2020. A lot of people go to work, or they're in school during the weekday. 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. However, the issues vary among different demographic groups. Topics Explainers Politics US Evergreen US Explainers YOU MIGHT LIKE ", Obama: "Absolutely. Australia sees around 91%, and 94% in Singapore. "We already know how to make voting convenient to voters that's by offering them options, like making an election season rather than election day," he said. Rose Marcario, CEO, stated, demonstrating your companys commitment to voting will reinforce how essential it is that every eligible voter shows up. Updated: 7:01 AM EST November 2, 2020 ATLANTA For many Americans, voting on Election Day is a tradition, and some wonder why it's not a national holiday. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. In the 2016 election, only 56% of voting-age Americans cast their ballots. [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. [36]. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. Managing Editor We also know that countries that have marked their election days as federal events see higher voting turnouts than the United States. One major reason: It comes down to tradition, Troy said. This is why election day is not a holiday in Canada - blogTO Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. For more on the debate about making election day a national holiday, visit ProCon.org. Some businesses may close, but their hourly paid employees will either have to use a PTO day or not get paid.. Why Election Day is on a Tuesday in November in the U.S. | Pew Research Last Tuesday was election day in the United States, and this year we voted in the midterm elections. However, making National Election Day a holiday will disadvantage low-income and blue . Here are five reasons why Election Day should be a national holiday. This page was last edited on 1 February 2023, at 18:43. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. "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. [8][15] A holiday for elections sidesteps the issue of a weekend election, which could conflict with religious obligations. I am from Malta - a tiny EU island nation and today we celebrate the shipwreck of St. Paul on our island. 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. 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. (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.). [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. 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. The case for making Election Day an official holiday For other uses, see. ], [Editors Note: The MLA citation style requires double spacing within entries. "Election Day should be a national holiday so that everyone has the time and opportunity to vote," Sanders' website reads. Granderson: Why aren't Democrats making election day a state holiday The COVID-19 pandemic convinced. [3] In 1800, 83% of the American labor force was agrarian, but today only 11% of total US employment is agriculture-related. And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who dont to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. Veterans Day typically is about one week after Election Day so this would involve little disruption in terms of job schedules and monthly routines. Making the presidential election a national holiday is another way to get people to the polls. While some states have made Election Day a civic holiday (though it primarily applies to public workers) and most have laws that require companies to give employees some time off to vote, none of the legislative efforts to enact these changes on a national level have been successful. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. 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. Ralph Northam signed into law a measure that, among other things, makes Election Day a state holiday in the commonwealth. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider ", Others, however, are skeptical that creating a national holiday would increase voter turnout. In 1845, when Congress established a national election day, it had to be a Tuesday because farmers went to church on Sunday, went to market on Wednesday, and may have needed a day, Monday, to get to their polling place, Gil Troy an American presidential historian and McGill University professor told HuffPost. Election Day should be a 'day off,' U.S. President Joe Biden says Should Election Day in the U.S. be a national holiday? ProCon.org. Sunday: the second Sunday of March for Congress, and the second Sunday of May for President and Vice President. Lists national days around the world by country or date. Think of things such as voter ID laws, lowering the voting age, and abolishing the Electoral College. Election Day in USA in 2023 | Office Holidays 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. The earliest possible date that Election Day can fall on is November 2nd, and the latest possible date is November 8th. [33], Henry Farber, PhD, Hughes-Rogers Professor of Economics at Princeton University, conducted an analysis of states that made Election Day a holiday for state employees. 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 in the US voted during the 2016 presidential election. [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. "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons." Election Day isn't a national holiday in the US, but some people think it should be. 26K views, 1.2K likes, 65 loves, 454 comments, 23 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Citizen TV Kenya: #FridayNight In Thailand, one of the very few countries outside of Europe that was never formally colonized, the king's birthday is celebrated (don't insult him or you might go to jail, per the lese majeste laws). 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. Especially given that 65% of Americans support making election day a national holiday and 43% of voters already live in one of the 19 states with some form of voting holiday. Without this simple step toward turning out as many Americans as possible to vote, any reform will be incomplete. Because the impact of a federal holiday is far-reaching, many states and workplaces would likely follow suit. In some states where they don't have mail-in ballots, voting can take a lot of time out of the day. According to Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus, Australia adopted compulsory voting in 1924 after turnout there dropped to less than 60 percent in 1922. Georgias voter suppression bill is an assault on our democracy, Republicans in 48 states have introduced 389 bills, Tracking regulatory changes in the Biden era. Americans are working all the time. Incidentally, Australia routinely reaches more than 90. Rather, federal elections are held on the third Monday of October, every four years . Saturday, but can be any day of the week, such as when a Saturday conflicts with a holiday. Is Election Day a federal holiday? As a holiday, that means several millions of people would have the day off from work or school, making it way . Election day should be a national holiday. Which type of claim is this Make election day a national holiday : r/WhitePeopleTwitter - reddit Fourth Sunday of October immediately before the end of the current mandates. In previous elections, that percentage was even higher. [24] Holidays usually mean more work hours for retail workers, because stores run promotions and sales. 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. 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 Election Day be a national holiday? 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. Its hard to say. By law, polling day is a public holiday if it falls on a weekday. Election officials in various states have predicted historic levels of turnout in 2020, with a chance to reach the highest ever. Operated 24:7 through the week. 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.". The US isn't the only developed country that faces this criticism, however. 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. 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those . Make Election Day a national holiday - Brookings Here are the proper bibliographic citations for this page according to four style manuals (in alphabetical order): [Editor's Note: The APA citation style requires double spacing within entries. Early voting for the midterms varies by state. It commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a reverend and civil . "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. [25], According to the AFL-CIO, 30 states require employers to allow employees time off for voting. 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. Election Day is a US State Holiday observed on several states on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every even-numbered year. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. In 2018, the general election was held on Wednesday. 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.
Fishing Rolleston River Trent, Parking Near Hyatt Regency Waikiki, What Is A Written Warning Police, Mike Shoemaker Navy, Two Identical Conducting Spheres Are Separated By A Distance, Articles C