Currently, 22 countries around the world have mandatory voting, and ten of those countries enforce the policy, including Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Peru, and Switzerland. So far this year, hundreds of bills have been introduced that could have the effect of suppressing peoples right to vote. So the question of how you label Ireland goes back to which holiday you consider its national day. Some countries, including Belgium and Turkey, see such high voter turnout mainly because of their compulsory voting laws. [4][5], The United States currently has 10 national holidays, including Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Christmas Day. Examine this opinion article from Evil HR Lady Suzanne Lucas on why election day should not be a national holiday. In an interview with President Barack Obama in 2016, Dan Corey, editor-in-chief of Rutgers University's official student newspaper, The Daily Targum, asked Obama about what could be done to reverse the US's low voter turnout: The Daily Targum: "You have pointed out many times that voter turnout in the United States is very low, especially compared to other developed nations. Will the party listen to them on the issues? 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. as well as other partner offers and accept our. 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. 26K views, 1.2K likes, 65 loves, 454 comments, 23 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Citizen TV Kenya: #FridayNight Until 2009, elections were held over several consecutive Sundays. The COVID-19 pandemic convinced. Should Election Day be a national holiday? 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. If Election Day were a national holiday, how would you ensure hourly and low-income workers would get a chance to vote? 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. 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. Saturday, but can be any day of the week, such as when a Saturday conflicts with a holiday. [18][19], Federal law doesnt require private employers to give employees paid federal holidays. However, those numbers may be attributed to a combination of factors not solely because their elections occur on non-work days. [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. 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. ], [Editors Note: The MLA citation style requires double spacing within entries. In Sweden, for example, 83% of registered voters participated in the 2014 national . Image 2. 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. TOP QUESTION Other countries take heroic efforts to ensure that people can vote if they desire. 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. It happens to be on the day the politicians themselves get elected. Voter turnout in the United States is usually considered low, especially in years without a presidential election. [31] Same-day registration boosts turnout by 5%, and universal implementation of it would have added as many as 4.8 million voters in the 2016 election, according to Danielle Root, JD, and Liz Kennedy, JD, from the Center for American Progress. Election Day is always the first Tuesday after November 1st. Some businesses may close, but their hourly paid employees will either have to use a PTO day or not get paid.. As old as all of these societies are, their senses of national identity are commemorated by remarkably recent events. As Congress continues to grapple with voting rights legislation this week, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has used his considerable influence as the Senates key swing vote to set the terms of the debate. In the 2016 presidential election, 14% of registered voters cited being too busy or having a conflicting schedule as the main reason they didnt cast their ballots, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data. - 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? Roughly 138 million Americans voted in the 2016 presidential election, just 61.4% of the 214,109,360 million who were registered to vote, according to The U.S. Election Assistance Commission. 1. But experts say improving voter turnout is a complicated issue that no single silver bullet strategy can solve. But Gupta said that there's been a "lack of political will" to give the initiative some momentum. [28][29], Patagonia, an outdoor clothing retailer, paused operation on Nov. 6, 2018 so that all employees could vote. 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. Meanwhile, in Macedonia this past September, voters chose to stay away from the polls because of the proposed name change for the country. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? [31]. 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. Last Tuesday was election day in the United States, and this year we voted in the midterm elections. "I'm not a fan," said Eddie Perez, an election administration and election technology expert at the Open Source Election Technology (OSET) Institute. Thats not to say no one has tried. [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. 3. Have you experienced an election day in another country, or do you know how voting works in a place we haven't mentioned here? [ 17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. Could that ever happen in the U.S.? Theyare still considerably higher than in the United States, which typically sees about 65% on average turn out to vote for major elections. Research has found that higher trust in the government and democratic process leads to greater voter turnout. 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. Furthermore, making this small shift would celebrate the purpose and sacrifice of our fighting forces. These include national, state, and local government representatives at all levels up to the president. "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. Office Holidays provides calendars with dates and information on public holidays and bank holidays in key countries around the world. Of the nonvoters surveyed by the US Census Bureau about the 2008 presidential election, the 2012 presidential election, and numerous other elections, the most commonly cited reason for not voting was being too busy or having conflicting work schedules. 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. ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. 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. Read more: The evolution of American voting rights in 242 years shows how far we've come and how far we still have to go. 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. 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. This page was last edited on 1 February 2023, at 18:43. The U.S. House of Representatives just passed H.R. Compulsory voting does not necessarily guarantee 100% turnout rates, however, though they still see higher rates than countries which do not require it. 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. [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. During the 2016 presidential election, less than 56% of the estimated voting-age population in the US voted. 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). A number of bills like the Weekend Voting Act have been proposed in Congress over the years, often by Democrats. The ideal solution is simple: Congress should make Election Day a national holiday, or move Election Day to the weekend. Understanding what happened in the Chicago mayoral race. Approximately two million people who work for the federal government would be given a paid day off, and private companies might follow suit. Why or why not? 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. In the US, Election Day is not a national holiday. Election Day is not a national holiday in 2022, but some states require employees get paid time off to vote. 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. 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 . He says it's more important to spread voting out over a period of days and methods. Such a change would mostly benefit white-collar workers instead of the lower-income workers its designed to help. In many other democracies around the world, national elections are held on the weekend or are a federal holiday. 27 September (Wednesday): Day of the French-speaking Community - commemorates the victory of the patriots against the Dutch army in Brussels in 1830. It can fall on or between November 2 and November 8. the Tuesday that occurs within November 2 to November 8. 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. All federal elections take place the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Americans are working all the time. According to the Pew Research Center, of the thirty-six nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the U.S. is one of nine that votes on a week day, and one of seven that doesn't designateelection day a national holiday. Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters. 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. But while . 3) Britain and Denmark have no national days. Tuesday was chosen because it was most convenient for farmers traveling by horse and buggy at the time. 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. To look through the stats for voter turnout for other countries, you can visit the website for the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) and explore the data. And even a number of the blue countries, such as Australia and Canada, are actually the product of colonialism. [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. The earliest possible date that Election Day can fall on is November 2nd, and the latest possible date is November 8th. 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. Should the United States Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections? Here are five reasons why Election Day should be a national holiday. "If I had my way, and I think it is really important, every . Election Day - Tuesday, Nov. 8 - is a special day, with voters casting ballots across the country. "Voting is a fundamental right,. South Africa's is from the first democratic elections, in 1994. And the empire has been pretty consistently breaking apart over the last half century Scotland is maybe next so it's not like there is a national unification to celebrate. Last week his office released a list of voting rights provisions he would support. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. I think, to the best of my knowledge, it's something like $20. Election Day is observed on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, taking place on November 7 this year. Incidentally, Australia routinely reaches more than 90. ProCon.org. Britain, after all, developed its political institutions pretty gradually, so there was no real "Bastille Day" moment that defines the modern nation. Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard 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. But they never go far and die in committee without a vote. To make Election Day a national holiday, it would take an act of Congress, and so far, no bills proposing such action have passed. 26 th January (Republic Day), 15 th August (Independence Day) and 2 nd October (Gandhi Jayanti). 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. 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. The outliers are a tiny minority, and only two countries have no formal national day at all. 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. 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. Early voting for the midterms varies by state. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. But in many other countries, the government automatically registers voters and holds elections on days that are weekend days or national holidays. This map, inspired by a Reddit thread with a similar map, shows the national days of the world's countries. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. Regional Belgian public holidays during 2023. Virginia joined these states in April this year. Accessed February 21, 2023. https://www.procon.org/headlines/election-day-national-holiday-top-3-pros-and-cons/, potential benefits and difficulties of changing election day, election day should not be a national holiday. 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. 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, . 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. Compared to other developed countries, America's voter turnout rate is pretty sad. And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who don't to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 4. 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. There's nothing that would stop voters here from treating a Democracy Day like just another day off.". Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. 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. It's amazing how much of the map is green, indicating countries that celebrate a national independence day every year. In an interview published Thursday, President Obama endorsed the idea of holding U.S. federal elections on weekends or national holidays. Elections Project, which is close to the complete voter . [25], According to the AFL-CIO, 30 states require employers to allow employees time off for voting. Pew also found that certain issues motivate voters more than others: "health care, poverty and education are the top motivators for political engagement." Over the course of three days, Estonians could vote by placing their state-issued ID cards (which have an electronic chip . Argentina has instated compulsory voting laws, but only sees about 76% voter turnout. 1, which adds a new paid holiday for federal employees every other year. 0:00. Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. With those options early in-person voting and more voter awareness on how to vote by mail voter turnout appears to be trending upward. 1. And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who dont to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. In Switzerland, only one canton (or member state) requires voting; it is voluntary all other cantons of the country. 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. However, the issues vary among different demographic groups. It would take an act of Congress to make Election Day a national holiday, and there is currently a bill proposing to designate "Democracy Day" as a national election holiday before a special committee. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider 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. Let us make it as easy as we can," Sanders told CBS News. [16]. October 26, 2020 / 10:57 AM [7] A handful of states have made election day a state holiday, including New York, Hawaii, Kentucky, and, in Apr. Proponents say teens are knowledgeable enough to vote. (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.). Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. [8], In the 2016 presidential election, 55.7% of the American voting-age population cast a ballot. On Sunday, Virginia Democratic Gov. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. 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. 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. "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. Reformers will be far more successful adding a few days or options or opportunities than trying to undo Election Day..

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