Third Monday of October every four years, or after Parliament is dissolved by the. By law, polling day is a public holiday if it falls on a weekday. 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. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. These efforts challenge fundamental values of American democracy and constitute a serious threat to the one person, one vote principle. Election Day in the United States of America is the Tuesday following the first Monday in November. "Voting is a fundamental right,. 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. 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. "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. Countries that have weekend or holiday elections do tend to have better turnout overall. 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. With those options early in-person voting and more voter awareness on how to vote by mail voter turnout appears to be trending upward. 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. Could that ever happen in the U.S.? It can fall on or between November 2 and 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. Many Americans know that Election Day is a Tuesday, but few know why. Without this simple step toward turning out as many Americans as possible to vote, any reform will be incomplete. 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. 1. One major reason: It comes down to tradition, Troy said. Meanwhile, in Macedonia this past September, voters chose to stay away from the polls because of the proposed name change for the country. According to Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus, Australia adopted compulsory voting in 1924 after turnout there dropped to less than 60 percent in 1922. 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. ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. https://www.britannica.com/question/Should-election-day-be-made-a-national-holiday. It is set by statute as "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November.". [24] Holidays usually mean more work hours for retail workers, because stores run promotions and sales. Stay up to date with what you want to know. 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. Its hard to say. Israel and South Korea hold their elections on weekdays, but they're national holidays. After all, what do our veterans fight for, if not for democracy itself? 3. Exact date set by the. 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." Concentrating voters into a single day risks congesting polling places, even more so than some already are. And even if it were a federal holiday, that wouldn't ensure that all voting-age Americans would have the day off. Even people youd expect to know, like politicians, have been stumped by this very question. The Freedom to Vote Act would make Election Day a national holiday. Sign up to receive a weekly email update on forthcoming public holidays around the world in your inbox every Sunday. 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. 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. Elections to the Bundestag may be held on another public holiday. The U.S. is one of only nine member nations that have weekday voting. "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.". OK, so why Tuesday? It happens to be on the day the politicians themselves get elected. In Sweden, for example, 83% of registered voters participated in the 2014 national . 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 fact, in Estonia, the option tovoteonlineis becoming increasingly popular. 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. Issues also arise when a persons polling place is far from their workplace or when there are long lines to vote during peak times like in the morning before work or in the evening after work. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. 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. Read More, Election Day is a holiday in Puerto Rico. On Sunday, Virginia Democratic Gov. Pro/Con Arguments | Discussion Questions | Take Action | Sources | More Debates, Election Day in the United States has occurred on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November ever since President John Tyler signed an 1845 law establishing a specific voting day for the entire country. 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. Updates? Senator Bernie Sanders has certainly tried heintroducedthe "Democracy Day Act" in 2018, which proposed making Election Day a federal holiday. 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. 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%. 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. Rather than make it a national holiday where inevitably people will still have to work, change election day to election week. [10][11]] ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. As for Denmark, it has a national liberation day and some people celebrate international worker's day, but neither is a public holiday. Twenty-seven of the 36 member countries, hold their elections on the weekend. In previous elections, that percentage was even higher. These include national, state, and local government representatives at all levels up to the president. 1. However, the issues vary among different demographic groups. Russia's national holiday only goes back to 1992, when the Russian Federation was founded. Even among the nine weekday voting countries, South Korea's and Israel's voters take a day off work on the day of the election to ensure higher electoral participation. Voter turnout in the United States is usually considered low, especially in years without a presidential election. [4][5], The United States currently has 10 national holidays, including Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Christmas Day. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. The US isn't the only developed country that faces this criticism, however. Incidentally, Australia routinely reaches more than 90. And so while it's very understandable that people are trying to find ways to make it more convenient for people to vote, it's very likely that Election Day as a national holiday would actually hurt the voters who most need more options," Becker said. Usually Wednesday. By comparison, Belgium reported the highest OECD voter turnout: 87.2% in the most recent national election. Americans are working all the time. And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who don't to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. - 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? Some countries, about 27 of them, make voting compulsory. [26] Creating laws in all states that let people vote before or after work would be more effective than a national holiday, which would quickly be viewed as just another day off to enjoy. Election Day is a state holiday in Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York. In some states where they don't have mail-in ballots, voting can take a lot of time out of the day. 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. 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). US voter turnout trails most developed countries. 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. Additionally, many of these individuals rely on school days as childcare for their children. The correct answer is B. Advertisement Advertisement marberman marberman 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. [ 17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. (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.). Countries outpacing the U.S. include the U.K, Mexico and Canada. Would making Election Day a federal holiday increase voter turnout and celebrate democracy? ], [Editors Note: The MLA citation style requires double spacing within entries. 1, which adds a new paid holiday for federal employees every other year. Puerto Rico's voter turnout has gone as high as 80 . 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 expense of the other party, the GOP, said Vincent Hutchings, a University of Michigan political science professor. The earliest possible date that Election Day can fall on is November 2nd, and the latest possible date is November 8th. For rest of the festival holidays the declaration . Because the impact of a federal holiday is far-reaching, many states and workplaces would likely follow suit. Right now, federal elections are always held on Tuesdays, because farmers in the 1840s needed multiple days to get to the . 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). First Sunday of October. Instead, lawmakers could simply move nearby Veterans Day to Election Day, emphasizing that voting is both a service to the country and a celebration of the rights and freedoms for which our servicemembers fight. An additional day off school would prove to be problematic for individuals who may not have other readily accessible forms of childcare. [24], People who have already suffered significant disenfranchisement, such as women and people of color, are more likely to be working those low-income jobs that wouldnt get the time off to vote even on a national holiday. 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. a list of voting rights provisions he would support. Australia sees around 91%, and 94% in Singapore. For more on the debate about making election day a national holiday, visit ProCon.org. [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. Why or why not? Lists national days around the world by country or date. There's nothing that would stop voters here from treating a Democracy Day like just another day off.". 1. 0:58. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? 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.. ", Obama: "Absolutely. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. 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. In 2007, the country held the world's first general Internet election. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider by country by date 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. In 2018, the general election was held on Wednesday. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. "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. 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. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. 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. 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. It commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a reverend and civil . However, rules, dates and deadlines vary by state, which can be confusing to some voters. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, 2020 North Macedonian parliamentary election, "THE ELECTORAL CODE OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard Last modified on October 1, 2020. The bill would also effectively revive Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which requires states with a history of voter discrimination have all changes to their election laws approved by the federal government, updating the law in response to the Supreme Courts 2013 holding in Shelby County v. Holder. And even a number of the blue countries, such as Australia and Canada, are actually the product of colonialism. [16]. Will the party listen to them on the issues? Some countries, including Belgium and Turkey, see such high voter turnout mainly because of their compulsory voting laws. [14], Pew Research Center found that 71% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans support making Election Day a federal holiday. It is the day when popular ballots are held to select public officials. Congress would shore up the peoples right to vote while guaranteeing the time to engage in this fundamental right. Understanding what happened in the Chicago mayoral race. Do you think it's time for the US to follow their lead? Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. [12], The idea that voting should be a celebration, not a chore is one argument for turning Election Day into a national holiday, according to Archon Fung, PhD, and Jane Mansbridge, PhD, professors at the Harvard Kennedy School. 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. [7] A handful of states have made election day a state holiday, including New York, Hawaii, Kentucky, and, in Apr. I think, to the best of my knowledge, it's something like $20. 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. 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. In many other democracies around the world, national elections are held on the weekend or are a federal 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. Or is it an optimistic idea that would exclude already disadvantaged voters while failing to increase turnout? Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [3] In 1800, 83% of the American labor force was agrarian, but today only 11% of total US employment is agriculture-related. People literally cannot get to the polling booth because it may close at 7 o'clock and they're working later. As you can see, the world is mostly divided between countries that celebrate a national independence day and countries that celebrate a national unification or revolution day. Sign up for notifications from Insider! More people would vote if they had more time to cast their ballots Furthermore, celebrating our democracy publicly would send the message that we value each others citizenship as much as we value honoring past presidents. [13], Donald Green, PhD, Burgess Professor of Political Science at Columbia University, found that nonpartisan community parties celebrating Election Day in 2005, 2006, and 2016 increased voter participation between 2.6 percentage points and about 4 percentage points. Topics Explainers Politics US Evergreen US Explainers YOU MIGHT LIKE 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. "While this would not be a cure-all, it would indicate a national commitment to create a more vibrant democracy.". Some countries, about 27 of them,make voting compulsory. Again, it is not clear that this is demonstrably true but it is a widespread perception. However, making National Election Day a holiday will disadvantage low-income and blue . According to Pew Research data, US voter turnout trails most developed countries. October 26, 2020 / 10:57 AM Consider the pandemic, which has not given essential workers more time off. By comparison,. [36]. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. 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. / CBS News. Elections Project, which is close to the complete voter . 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. There is no fixed election day for general elections, although since 1986 every general election has been held on Sunday.