But experts say improving voter turnout is a complicated issue that no single silver bullet strategy can solve. Disclaimer: Dates and Events correct at time of printing but may change without our knowledge. Or is it an optimistic idea that would exclude already disadvantaged voters while failing to increase turnout? [31][32] Trying one of these alternatives would avoid the negative economic impact of closing businesses for Election Day. Voter turnout in the United States is usually considered low, especially in years without a presidential election. 3) Britain and Denmark have no national days. Think of things such as voter ID laws, lowering the voting age, and abolishing the Electoral College. Here are five reasons why Election Day should be a national holiday. [28][29], Patagonia, an outdoor clothing retailer, paused operation on Nov. 6, 2018 so that all employees could vote. 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. In Switzerland, only one canton (or member state) requires voting; it is voluntary all other cantons of the country. Explain your answer. 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. "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. First published on October 26, 2020 / 10:57 AM. The pros and cons of the felon voting debate include arguments about the social contract, voting while in prison, and paying debts. ", "An overall look at Vietnam's election law", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Election_day&oldid=1136894393. as well as other partner offers and accept our. These include national, state, and local government representatives at all levels up to the president. People literally cannot get to the polling booth because it may close at 7 o'clock and they're working later. 27 September (Wednesday): Day of the French-speaking Community - commemorates the victory of the patriots against the Dutch army in Brussels in 1830. Furthermore, making this small shift would celebrate the purpose and sacrifice of our fighting forces. 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. [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. "We should be making it easier for people to vote, not harder. 5. ", ProCon.org. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? 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. In a number of states, polling places have been closed in minority neighborhoods, which has created long lines and tremendous inconvenience for affected votersinconvenience with a cost, especially for those paid hourly wages. This map, inspired by a Reddit thread with a similar map, shows the national days of the world's countries. [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. List two to three ways. "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. Pew also found that certain issues motivate voters more than others: "health care, poverty and education are the top motivators for political engagement." A lot of people go to work, or they're in school during the weekday. 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. Some countries, about 27 of them,make voting compulsory. But Gupta said that there's been a "lack of political will" to give the initiative some momentum. Tuesday is Election Day, but only in some parts of the country will voters get the day off to cast their ballots. Australia sees around 91%, and 94% in Singapore. By Monday morning, nearly 60 million had already voted early across the country, closing in on half of 2016's total voter turnout. He concluded that having an election holiday, by itself, is not an effective strategy to increase voter turnout. [34], Automatic voter registration, by contrast, could register an additional 22 million people and create 7.9 million new voters nationwide within a year. We're familiar with how voting works in the U.S.when we vote, how we vote, who we vote forbut do you know what voting is like in other countries around the world? Operated 24:7 through the week. 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. However, for the most part, most countries vote in person at the voting booth, and while countries may alter the length of election periods andthe equipment used in voting from election to election, it still tends to have many of the same features. Russia's national holiday only goes back to 1992, when the Russian Federation was founded. Election Day - Tuesday, Nov. 8 - is a special day, with voters casting ballots across the country. And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who dont to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. In many other democracies around the world, national elections are held on the weekend or are a federal holiday. As for Denmark, it has a national liberation day and some people celebrate international worker's day, but neither is a public holiday. In an interview published Thursday, President Obama endorsed the idea of holding U.S. federal elections on weekends or national holidays. 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." By comparison,. Election Day in the United States is the annual day for general elections of federal public officials.It is statutorily set by the U.S. government as "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November", i.e. All 435 representatives were up for re-election, as well as a third ofsenators, and countless elections for governors, mayors, state legislators, and local government across the country. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Think about that: In most of the world, the sense of national identity is shaped by the act of cutting, or in some cases violently throwing off, the chains of colonialism. In some states where they don't have mail-in ballots, voting can take a lot of time out of the day. ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. 3. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents and 59% of Republicans and GOP leaners said they would support making Election Day a national holiday. Should Election Day be a national holiday? That means the stock market will be open, and so will. 0:58. And. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? 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. 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. 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 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. Maybe that could give us some hint as to the frequent foreign sensitivities and accusations, right or wrong, about Western foreign policy echoing old colonial practices. 1. So the question of how you label Ireland goes back to which holiday you consider its national day. Opponents say kids arent mature enough to vote. Election Day is already a holiday for state employees in more than a dozen states including Kentucky, Michigan, and New York. ", "National Electoral Code Article 53 and 148", Report of the 2014 National Lawyers Guild Bolivian Election Observation Delegation, Voting hours for elections in EU Member States, "The Parliamentary Electoral System in Denmark", Consultation Report on Review of Electoral Arrangements, "India Elects 2019: The World's Largest Election, Explained", "Six Nations match at the centre of row over election date - Independent.ie", "With full term possible, Netanyahu may outlast Ben-Gurion (and Obama)", Confessionalism and Electoral Reform in Lebanon, "Voters reminded not to reveal voting intention at Sunday's polling", "Malaysia's election on a Wednesday favors PM, opposition says", "Elections in Mexico and the US: Comparisons and contrasts", "Law on Election of Councillors and Members of Parliament", "Election Days General Elections 1853-2011", "The main features of the Norwegian electoral system", "Tribunal Electoral de Panam convoca a elecciones generales de 2024", "Peru Can Give U.S. 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. 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. Again, it is not clear that this is demonstrably true but it is a widespread perception. Part of HuffPost Home & Living. There are many ways to boost voter turnout expanding early voting, automatically registering voters, and improving civic education programs . Other countries may only require it of certain people, and otherwise make it voluntary for others. Modern life operates around the clock. 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. For example, in Ecuador, only literate citizens between 18 and 65 are required to vote; those over 65 or who are not literateare not required. To combat these efforts, lawmakers nationally have introduced HR1 (the John Lewis Act) and S1, which would enact a number of important provisions: improve ballot access, create nonpartisan redistricting commissions to reduce gerrymandering, provide automatic voter registration when people turn 18, allow at least 15 days of early voting,mandate that presidential candidates disclosure their federal tax returns, and require greater disclosure of so-called dark money campaign contributions. 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. We are very proud that we are mentioned in the Bible. Here is the relevant passage from Acts 28: 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. 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. - Vincent Hutchings, a University of Michigan political science professor, - Gil Troy, American presidential historian, 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, Joaquin Corbalan / EyeEm via Getty Images, as travel and communication improved in the 19th century, being too busy or having a conflicting schedule, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, substantially increase the cost of running elections, move that would make it easier for Americans to vote, The types of workers least likely to reap the benefits. 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. So far this year, hundreds of bills have been introduced that could have the effect of suppressing peoples right to vote. 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.". Corrections? A simple but effective change, however, could be made in election timing. Countries like France, Germany, and India all recognize Election Day as a national holiday or hold elections on the weekend in order to increase voter turnout. In 2018, the general election was held on Wednesday. 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. a list of voting rights provisions he would support. 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. 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. 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. 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). This year, Election . 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. 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. Mr. CHRISTENSEN: One of the biggest countries that uses compulsory voting is Australia. Tuesday was chosen because it was most convenient for farmers traveling by horse and buggy at the time. 3. I'll look into this some more and may change it on the map. 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. Traditionally elections are held over two days, starting on a Friday afternoon and ending the following Saturday afternoon. Election Day is the day for general elections of public officials in the U.S. Some businesses may close, but their hourly paid employees will either have to use a PTO day or not get paid.. "[Early and at-home voting] helps prevent bottlenecks for election administrators because it 'flattens the curve' for when ballots are cast by large numbers of voters," Perez said. [17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. They stated, Citizen Day would do more than give our democracy the honor that it deserves; it would help our democracy work better. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. "If I had my way, and I think it is really important, every . Currently, 22 countries around the world have mandatory voting, and ten of those countries enforce the policy, including Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Peru, and Switzerland. "Election Day should be a national holiday so that everyone has the time and opportunity to vote," Sanders' website reads. Nine states classify general elections as holidays: Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Virginia. 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. 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. Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island and New York have also made Election Day into a state holiday. Others have suggested making Veterans Day (Nov. 11), which is already a paid national holiday, Election Day. Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? States such as Georgia and Iowa already have passed restrictive measures and many others appear poised to do the same thing. America is walking the knifes edge between maintaining and losing democracy. During the 2016 presidential election, less than 56% of the estimated voting-age population in the US voted. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Sign up to receive a weekly email update on forthcoming public holidays around the world in your inbox every Sunday. Before that point, states could hold their presidential elections on any day within a certain 34-day window. [ 17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. Fourth Sunday of October immediately before the end of the current mandates. This is the day we cast ballots to select public officials from local to the national government. Sunday: the second Sunday of March for Congress, and the second Sunday of May for President and Vice President. [6] Election Day could be made a holiday if a bill were passed by the House and Senate then signed into law by the president. 3. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Change often comes slowly, subtly. But while . While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. ABUJA, Nigeria -- Nigeria's election commission announced the first results late Sunday from the country's closely watched presidential election, but it could days . Incidentally, Australia routinely reaches more than 90. Last modified on October 1, 2020. Election Day is always the first Tuesday after November 1st. [4][5], The United States currently has 10 national holidays, including Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Christmas Day. [7] A handful of states have made election day a state holiday, including New York, Hawaii, Kentucky, and, in Apr. [9], Former Editor-in-Chief of the Northwestern University Law Review, Beau C. Tremitiere, JD, stated, The demands of school and work schedules keep millions of Americans, especially those with children or long commutes, from ever getting to their polling stations The ideal solution is simple: Congress should make Election Day a national holiday, or move Election Day to the weekend. [10] A holiday would allow more citizens volunteer at polling places or drive the elderly to vote, and make a difference in states where long lines at the polls keep voters waiting for hours. 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. The types of workers least likely to reap the benefits of a federal holiday are those who already struggle to vote, Shineman noted. Countries that have weekend or holiday elections do tend to have better turnout overall. It happens to be on the day the politicians themselves get elected. 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. Its hard to say. [24] Holidays usually mean more work hours for retail workers, because stores run promotions and sales. 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. Virginia joined these states in April this year. Estonia is the only country to fully adopt online voting, but other countries, such as Australia, Canada, and Norway, have looked into pursuing it as an option in the future. For other uses, see. The number of early votes cast before Election Day 2020, as of Nov. 1, neared the 100 million mark according to data aggregated by the U.S. One major reason: It comes down to tradition, Troy said. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. It worked. 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. 0:00. 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. [16]. Image 2. 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. Arizona, for example, allows employees who do not have three consecutive hours before or after work when the polls are open to take paid time off to vote at the start or end of their work days. Elections to the Bundestag may be held on another public holiday. Last Tuesday was election day in the United States, and this year we voted in the midterm elections. 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. These efforts challenge fundamental values of American democracy and constitute a serious threat to the one person, one vote principle. Newsweek subscription offers > "For example, Australia typically has a turnout in the 90 percent or more range, and other nations such as Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Costa Rica and Mexico achieve. Four more states only provide time off for biennial, even-year elections: Delaware, Louisiana, Michigan and New Hampshire. Some countries use electronic voting machines, such as India, while others rely on paper ballots, such as Zimbabwe. 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. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. 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. Proponents say teens are knowledgeable enough to vote. But they never go far and die in committee without a vote. 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. 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. 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. 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. The U.S. House of Representatives just passed H.R. 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. Most recently, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont proposed a bill to designate "Democracy Day" as a national election holiday, which sits before a special committee. 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. Some countries, including Belgium and Turkey, see such high voter turnout mainly because of their compulsory voting laws. Compulsory voting does not necessarily guarantee 100% turnout rates, however, though they still see higher rates than countries which do not require it. 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.
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countries where election day is a national holiday
