Additionally, many of these individuals rely on school days as childcare for their children. Last week his office released a list of voting rights provisions he would support. Of these countries, 27 hold their national elections on a weekend. Thats not to say no one has tried. For more information on how to vote, head over to our TurboVote module. 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. 3. 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. [8], In the 2016 presidential election, 55.7% of the American voting-age population cast a ballot. However, rules, dates and deadlines vary by state, which can be confusing to some voters. 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. Research has found that higher trust in the government and democratic process leads to greater voter turnout. To paraphrase one of the commenters on the Reddit thread, is certainly is ironic that the British empire that is indirectly responsible for so many of the world's independence days has no real national day of its own. Voter turnout in the United States is usually considered low, especially in years without a presidential election. 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 . Whether election day should be made a national holiday is debated. 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. Making the presidential election a national holiday is another way to get people to the polls. I think, to the best of my knowledge, it's something like $20. The bill has no cosponsors, but the concept was supported by every 2020 Democratic candidate for president, excluding Mike Bloomberg and now-nominee Joe Biden. Opponents say it allows only a few states to select the president. CBS News reporter covering climate change and energy. Presented by:Defense Language and National Security Education Office, 60% of the eligible voting population vast a vote, looked at a few different methods of voting. Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? Whether election day in the United States should be made a national holiday is debated. By Monday morning, nearly 60 million had already voted early across the country, closing in on half of 2016's total voter turnout. Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters. A lot of people go to work, or they're in school during the weekday. by country by date [20][21][22] A part-time hourly worker is more likely to have multiple jobs, none of which are likely to offer time off for a national holiday. In Australia, all citizens of age to vote are required, and if they fail to do so, they face fines. The U.S. House of Representatives just passed H.R. [3] In 1800, 83% of the American labor force was agrarian, but today only 11% of total US employment is agriculture-related. Election Day is observed on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, taking place on November 7 this year. Virginia joined these states in April this year. [28][29], Patagonia, an outdoor clothing retailer, paused operation on Nov. 6, 2018 so that all employees could vote. Turning Election Day into a national holiday would instill a sense of pride in all citizens, knowing they have the ability to cast a ballot regardless of work. Australia sees around 91%, and 94% in Singapore. Sunday: the second Sunday of March for Congress, and the second Sunday of May for President and Vice President. In an interview published Thursday, President Obama endorsed the idea of holding U.S. federal elections on weekends or national holidays. Omissions? Election Day is already a holiday for state employees in more than a dozen states including Kentucky, Michigan, and New York. "If I had my way, and I think it is really important, every . 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. Compulsory voting does not necessarily guarantee 100% turnout rates, however, though they still see higher rates than countries which do not require it. 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. Election officials in various states have predicted historic levels of turnout in 2020, with a chance to reach the highest ever. And I think on Election Day we should have a national holiday which says, 'you don't have to rush to vote.' 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. Exact date set by the. 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. [7] A handful of states have made election day a state holiday, including New York, Hawaii, Kentucky, and, in Apr. 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. 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. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. In theory, it seems that any move that would make it easier for Americans to vote would increase participation. 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? Think about it. According to Pew Research data, US voter turnout trails most developed countries. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. Understanding what happened in the Chicago mayoral race. Plus, some experts say moving to weekend voting could substantially increase the cost of running elections. "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.". 1. 1. Office Holidays provides calendars with dates and information on public holidays and bank holidays in key countries around the world. [16]. South Africa's is from the first democratic elections, in 1994. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. All federal elections take place the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. 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. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? 3) Britain and Denmark have no national days. Updates? 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. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. Mr. CHRISTENSEN: One of the biggest countries that uses compulsory voting is Australia. [25], According to the AFL-CIO, 30 states require employers to allow employees time off for voting. Election Day is the day for general elections of public officials in the U.S. Twenty-seven of the 36 member countries, hold their elections on the weekend. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. These efforts challenge fundamental values of American democracy and constitute a serious threat to the one person, one vote principle. 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. 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. "We should be making it easier for people to vote, not harder. There is a "need to make voting more accessible, to make it more of a civic duty, to make sure that people don't have to choose between their job and their ability to cast the ballot are issues that are more prominent today than ever before," she told CBS News. 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. "Election Day should be a national holiday so that everyone has the time and opportunity to vote," Sanders' website reads. It's amazing how much of the map is green, indicating countries that celebrate a national independence day every year. 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%. Sunday. [17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. 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. If Election Day were a national holiday, how would you ensure hourly and low-income workers would get a chance to vote? ", "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. 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. ABUJA, Nigeria -- Nigeria's election commission announced the first results late Sunday from the country's closely watched presidential election, but it could days . In 2018, a Pewstudy found that 65% of Americans favored making Election Day a national holiday. For other uses, see. 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. It happens to be on the day the politicians themselves get elected. 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those . What other improvements could be made to voting and Election Day? The result is voter turnout rates of 72.3% and 77.2% respectively, which is 26-32% higher than the United States. Even people youd expect to know, like politicians, have been stumped by this very question. 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 very high turnout via universal voting and time off for voting. 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. But some think it should be. 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. 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. [18][19], Federal law doesnt require private employers to give employees paid federal holidays. Before that point, states could hold their presidential elections on any day within a certain 34-day window. Other politicians, businesses, and advocacy groups have voiced their approval of celebrating Election Day as a national holiday. By comparison, Belgium reported the highest OECD voter turnout: 87.2% in the most recent national election. Election Day is a state holiday in Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York. To make Election Day a national holiday, it would take an act of Congress, and so far, no bills proposing such action have passed. A surprising map of the worlds national holidays (only two countries have no national day), Belarus sentences Nobel Peace laureate Ales Bialiatski to 10 years in jail, This is Bidens chance to press Scholz on Germanys rearmament, Why Russia and Ukraine are fighting over Bakhmut. And even a number of the blue countries, such as Australia and Canada, are actually the product of colonialism. For starters, the United States is rather unique in that it schedules its election day on a weekday, let alone a Tuesday. 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. Mail-in voting starts 1 month before polls open. 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. procon@eb.com, 2022 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Explain your answers. 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. 4. Lists national days around the world by country or date. ", Obama: "Absolutely. Operated 24:7 through the week. the Tuesday that occurs within November 2 to November 8. 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. ], ProCon.org, "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons,", ProCon.org, "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons. Consider, for example, the national days of France and Germany: the former marks the French revolution, in 1789, and the latter marks the German reunification in 1990. Saturday, but can be any day of the week, such as when a Saturday conflicts with a holiday. This page was last edited on 1 February 2023, at 18:43. [1], An election day usually culminates in an election night when the results of the election are tallied and winners are announced.[2]. Some countries, about 27 of them,make voting compulsory. [ 17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. It was created in 1992,. [31][32] Trying one of these alternatives would avoid the negative economic impact of closing businesses for Election Day. First published on October 26, 2020 / 10:57 AM. Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. 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. So, workers having a day off to vote wouldn't be a disruption to the economy, or anything a citizen of our country could deny would be worthwhile and smart thing to do. Elections to the European Parliament take place over a period of four days (i.e., Thursday through to Sunday), according to the election days of the EU members states (as listed above). [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. First Sunday of October. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? https://www.britannica.com/question/Should-election-day-be-made-a-national-holiday. 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. There are many ways to boost voter turnout expanding early voting, automatically registering voters, and improving civic education programs . 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 some states where they don't have mail-in ballots, voting can take a lot of time out of the day. These include national, state, and local government representatives at all levels up to the president. November 7, 2023. Many other democracies make election day a holiday and they all have higher voter turnout than we do. 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. 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. 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. Veterans Day typically is about one week after Election Day so this would involve little disruption in terms of job schedules and monthly routines. [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. 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. "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. But they never go far and die in committee without a vote. Should election day be made a national holiday? Should Election Day be a national holiday? Change often comes slowly, subtly. There is no fixed election day for general elections, although since 1986 every general election has been held on Sunday. A simple but effective change, however, could be made in election timing. So, since this effort does not receive bipartisan support, it is difficult to enact.. In many other democracies around the world, national elections are held on the weekend or are a federal holiday. [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. ", "An overall look at Vietnam's election law", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Election_day&oldid=1136894393. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a group that includes 36 countries. 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. According to the country's website detailing their "digital society," online voting has soared from 1.9% in 2005 to 30.5% in 2015. Sign up for notifications from Insider! A number of bills like the Weekend Voting Act have been proposed in Congress over the years, often by Democrats.
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