It was created in 1992,. Disclaimer: Dates and Events correct at time of printing but may change without our knowledge. The US ranks 26th out of 32 for voter turnout among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. All rights reserved. But they never go far and die in committee without a vote. Twenty-seven of the 36 member countries, hold their elections on the weekend. Whether election day should be made a national holiday is debated. According to Pew Research data, US voter turnout trails most developed countries. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. President Obama likes the idea of changing the way or the day Americans vote. Right now, federal elections are always held on Tuesdays, because farmers in the 1840s needed multiple days to get to the . And even if it were a federal holiday, that wouldn't ensure that all voting-age Americans would have the day off. [ 18][ 19] Con 1 Declaring Election Day a holiday has been proposed various times in Congress; it's a popular idea. Given this, an Election Day holiday would remove a significant barrier to participation for relatively well-to-do potential voters while doing little to make voting easier for a significant. 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. [16]. That's true, although the separate "National Day of Commemoration" occurs on the anniversary of the truce ending the Irish war of independence. 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. 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. Common reasons for a certain day are the date on which a state or country achieved its independence, or the date of the country's patron saint day. 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. 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. While no state has proposed reinstating the literacy tests, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses that effectively ended the burst of African-American franchise during Reconstruction, todays efforts to disenfranchise minority voters are similarly unsubtle. 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. As a holiday, that means several millions of people would have the day off from work or school, making it way . 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. Have you experienced an election day in another country, or do you know how voting works in a place we haven't mentioned here? One major reason: It comes down to tradition, Troy said. If Election Day were a national holiday, how would you ensure hourly and low-income workers would get a chance to vote? Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard 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.. A simple but effective change, however, could be made in election timing. Read more: You can take time off from work to vote in 30 states here's the full list. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. 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. [8][15] A holiday for elections sidesteps the issue of a weekend election, which could conflict with religious obligations. 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. Litigation pending before the Supreme Court this term in Brnovich v. DNC, however, threatens to undermine this rule. Incidentally, Australia routinely reaches more than 90. 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. By Monday morning, nearly 60 million had already voted early across the country, closing in on half of 2016's total voter turnout. 25, 2016, Chris Talgo, "Make Election Day a National Holiday? [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. Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? Other politicians, businesses, and advocacy groups have voiced their approval of celebrating Election Day as a national holiday. 0:00. Thats not to say no one has tried. List two to three ways. Veterans Day typically is about one week after Election Day so this would involve little disruption in terms of job schedules and monthly routines. [36]. A lot of people go to work, or they're in school during the weekday. Election Day is a state holiday in Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York. Until 2009, elections were held over several consecutive Sundays. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. In India, for example, a polling place is required within two kilometers (about a mile) of every single person in the country of 1.4 billion. 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 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. 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. Last week his office released a list of voting rights provisions he would support. Some countries, about 27 of them,make voting compulsory. Democracy on the ballot will the remaining election deniers succeed? But experts say improving voter turnout is a complicated issue that no single silver bullet strategy can solve. This is the day we cast ballots to select public officials from local to the national government. "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 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. Some countries, including Belgium and Turkey, see such high voter turnout mainly because of their compulsory voting laws. 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. [25], According to the AFL-CIO, 30 states require employers to allow employees time off for voting. [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. Others have suggested making Veterans Day (Nov. 11), which is already a paid national holiday, Election Day. Israel and South Korea hold their elections on weekdays, but they're national holidays. Research has found that higher trust in the government and democratic process leads to greater voter turnout. Rather than make it a national holiday where inevitably people will still have to work, change election day to election week. For federal offices (president, vice president, and United States Congress) and most gubernatorial offices (all except for . CBS News reporter covering climate change and energy. And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who dont to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. TOP QUESTION Some countries use electronic voting machines, such as India, while others rely on paper ballots, such as Zimbabwe. The United States has held federal elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years since 1845. 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. In the US, Election Day is not a national holiday. Tuesday was chosen because it was most convenient for farmers traveling by horse and buggy at the time. Whether election day in the United States should be made a national holiday is debated. 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. 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. From 2021, the first Sunday of June. It's amazing how much of the map is green, indicating countries that celebrate a national independence day every year. 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. Making the presidential election a national holiday is another way to get people to the polls. Common reasons for a certain day are the date on which a state or country achieved its independence, or the date of the country's patron saint day. In 2018, a Pewstudy found that 65% of Americans favored making Election Day a national holiday. 2) Most other countries are shaped by relatively recent revolutions. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. "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. OK, so why Tuesday? 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. Keep in mind that in the mid-1800s, the U.S. was largely an agricultural society. ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Understanding what happened in the Chicago mayoral race. 3. Why or why not? Concentrating voters into a single day risks congesting polling places, even more so than some already are. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Other countries may only require it of certain people, and otherwise make it voluntary for others. 1, which adds a new paid holiday for federal employees every other year. In many other democracies around the world, national elections are held on the weekend or are a federal holiday. Elections to the European Parliament take place over a period of four days (i.e., Thursday through to Sunday), according to the election days of the EU members states (as listed above). While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. And. However, making National Election Day a holiday will disadvantage low-income and blue . Examine this opinion article from Evil HR Lady Suzanne Lucas on why election day should not be a national holiday. For more on the debate about making election day a national holiday, visit ProCon.org. Canada's turnout is about the same as the United States', with an average of 68%, and though one canton in Switzerland has a compulsory voting law, for the country as a whole turnout is around 49%, one of the lowest rates in OECD countries. 1. [7] A handful of states have made election day a state holiday, including New York, Hawaii, Kentucky, and, in Apr. Rose Marcario, CEO, stated, demonstrating your companys commitment to voting will reinforce how essential it is that every eligible voter shows up. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. What other improvements could be made to voting and Election Day? 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. The U.S. ranks 26th out of 32 for voter among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. Theyare still considerably higher than in the United States, which typically sees about 65% on average turn out to vote for major elections. Election Day - Tuesday, Nov. 8 - is a special day, with voters casting ballots across the country. Election Day isn't a national holiday in the US, but some people think it should be. 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. Managing Editor Third Monday of October every four years, or after Parliament is dissolved by the. It can fall on or between November 2 and November 8. / CBS News. Election Day is not a national holiday in 2022, but some states require employees get paid time off to vote. But none of those states have considerably high turnout compared to those where it isn't a holiday. However, rules, dates and deadlines vary by state, which can be confusing to some voters. Some countries, about 27 of them, make voting compulsory. 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. Presidential elections are held every four years, in years divisible by four, while the elections to the . 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. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? That means the stock market will be open, and so will. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Approximately two million people who work for the federal government would be given a paid day off, and private companies might follow suit. In an interview published Thursday, President Obama endorsed the idea of holding U.S. federal elections on weekends or national holidays. Before that point, states could hold their presidential elections on any day within a certain 34-day window. Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island and New York have also made Election Day into a state holiday. 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. But while . Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. In 2007, the country held the world's first general Internet election. 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. The COVID-19 pandemic convinced. First Sunday of July until 2018. But in many other countries, the government automatically registers voters and holds elections on days that are weekend days or national holidays. "Election Day should be a national holiday so that everyone has the time and opportunity to vote," Sanders' website reads. 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. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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. Furthermore, making this small shift would celebrate the purpose and sacrifice of our fighting forces. [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. 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. Should election day be made a national holiday? 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. Other countries take heroic efforts to ensure that people can vote if they desire. Passing voting rights reform will be a crucial component of this response, as would making Election Day a national holiday. 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. 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.".
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