South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. States such as Georgia and Iowa already have passed restrictive measures and many others appear poised to do the same thing. Sometimes, specific ballot measures can influence voter turnout: in the UK, the Brexit vote resulted in a 72% turnout, slightly higher than the average of 69%. Topics Explainers Politics US Evergreen US Explainers YOU MIGHT LIKE 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. Reformers will be far more successful adding a few days or options or opportunities than trying to undo Election Day.. First Sunday of July until 2018. 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. In many other democracies around the world, national elections are held on the weekend or are a federal holiday. 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. Without this simple step toward turning out as many Americans as possible to vote, any reform will be incomplete. Third Monday of October every four years, or after Parliament is dissolved by the. By comparison, Belgium reported the highest OECD voter turnout: 87.2% in the most recent national election. Virginia joined these states in April this year. 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. The types of workers least likely to reap the benefits of a federal holiday are those who already struggle to vote, Shineman noted. Some countries use electronic voting machines, such as India, while others rely on paper ballots, such as Zimbabwe. 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. 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). Keep in mind that in the mid-1800s, the U.S. was largely an agricultural society. Because the impact of a federal holiday is far-reaching, many states and workplaces would likely follow suit. 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. Corrections? Not only would making Election Day a federal holiday increase voter turnout among Americans, which is something that politicians and citizens in general complain about often, but it . 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. 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." 27 September (Wednesday): Day of the French-speaking Community - commemorates the victory of the patriots against the Dutch army in Brussels in 1830. 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. [1], An election day usually culminates in an election night when the results of the election are tallied and winners are announced.[2]. Do you think it's time for the US to follow their lead? Other politicians, businesses, and advocacy groups have voiced their approval of celebrating Election Day as a national holiday. However, some countries, or regions within a country, which hold elections on a weekday declare election day a public holiday. 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. The COVID-19 pandemic convinced. Russia's national holiday only goes back to 1992, when the Russian Federation was founded. I am from Malta - a tiny EU island nation and today we celebrate the shipwreck of St. Paul on our island. For other uses, see. 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. 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. Should the United States Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections? 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. Compared to other developed countries, America's voter turnout rate is pretty sad. 1. ", Others, however, are skeptical that creating a national holiday would increase voter turnout. 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. 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. While these provisions represent major steps in the right direction, they are not enough. First published on October 26, 2020 / 10:57 AM. 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. It's amazing how much of the map is green, indicating countries that celebrate a national independence day every year. "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.". Other countries take heroic efforts to ensure that people can vote if they desire. 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. Election Day is a state holiday in Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York. 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. Of these countries, 27 hold their national elections on a weekend. Opponents say it allows only a few states to select the president. In an interview published Thursday, President Obama endorsed the idea of holding U.S. federal elections on weekends or national holidays. Early voting for the midterms varies by state. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. 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. Runoffs take place on the last Sunday of the same October. 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. But it is not a federal holiday. Mr. CHRISTENSEN: One of the biggest countries that uses compulsory voting is Australia. 26 th January (Republic Day), 15 th August (Independence Day) and 2 nd October (Gandhi Jayanti). On Sunday, Virginia Democratic Gov. 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. Georgia grassroots groups helped Biden win. If so, how? 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. 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. [25], According to the AFL-CIO, 30 states require employers to allow employees time off for voting. In the United States, it varies from state to state and even county to county, so the idea that one entire country might use the same voting method is actually pretty unique to Americans! Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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.. 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. 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 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. A number of bills like the Weekend Voting Act have been proposed in Congress over the years, often by Democrats. Operated 24:7 through the week. [36]. 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Or is it an optimistic idea that would exclude already disadvantaged voters while failing to increase turnout? "If I had my way, and I think it is really important, every . as well as other partner offers and accept our. And I think on Election Day we should have a national holiday which says, 'you don't have to rush to vote.' All rights reserved. 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. Rather, federal elections are held on the third Monday of October, every four years . 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. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters. 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. Most National Days are fixed, exceptions to this are shown below. Even people youd expect to know, like politicians, have been stumped by this very question. 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. Election Day is always the first Tuesday after November 1st. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. 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. Think of things such as voter ID laws, lowering the voting age, and abolishing the Electoral College. 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. [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. So the question of how you label Ireland goes back to which holiday you consider its national day. 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. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. "We should be making it easier for people to vote, not harder. 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. While the Republican efforts are shrouded in their supposed desire to protect the integrity of elections, there is no evidence of significant voter fraud in recent elections, including presidential election in 2020. According to the country's website detailing their "digital society," online voting has soared from 1.9% in 2005 to 30.5% in 2015. Could that ever happen in the U.S.? Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. A simple but effective change, however, could be made in election timing. First Sunday of October. 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 designate election day a national holiday. 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. Why or why not? At the top of his list: making Election Day 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. Should Election Day be a national holiday? Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. 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. In some of these countries, voting is compulsory, and in most of them, Election Day is a holiday. Australia sees around 91%, and 94% in Singapore. Regional Belgian public holidays during 2023. It is very, very hard to change core American traditions.. ", "An overall look at Vietnam's election law", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Election_day&oldid=1136894393.