[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. Countries like Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Mexico also showed high voter turnout rates by having holidays. America is walking the knifes edge between maintaining and losing democracy. Election Day as a holiday is something that exists in other countries, but not in most places in the U.S. It's an issue that comes up a lot, but never really gets much serious public debate. Here are five reasons why Election Day should be a national holiday. 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. Presidential and semipresidential systems, Constituencies: districting and apportionment. Should Election Day be a national holiday? 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. Do you think it's time for the US to follow their lead? The Freedom to Vote Act would make Election Day a national holiday. 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. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a group that includes 36 countries. 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. However, rules, dates and deadlines vary by state, which can be confusing to some voters. Especially given that 65% of Americans support making election day a national holiday and 43% of voters already live in one of the 19 states with some form of voting holiday. 26 th January (Republic Day), 15 th August (Independence Day) and 2 nd October (Gandhi Jayanti). By Monday morning, nearly 60 million had already voted early across the country, closing in on half of 2016's total voter turnout. 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. 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? It's amazing how much of the map is green, indicating countries that celebrate a national independence day every year. This map, inspired by a Reddit thread with a similar map, shows the national days of the world's countries. Concentrating voters into a single day risks congesting polling places, even more so than some already are. "If I had my way, and I think it is really important, every . 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. Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters. Essential reporting and analysis from correspondents around the world. 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. But it is not a federal holiday. This is the day we cast ballots to select public officials from local to the national government. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. Elections Held on Tuesdays?, britannica.com (accessed Sep. 30, 2019), Evan Andrews, "Election 1010: Why Do We Vote on a Tuesday in November?, history.com, Aug. 31, 2018, Grace Panetta and Olivia Reaney, "Today Is National Voter Registration Day. List two to three ways. Why or why not? 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 . During the 2016 presidential election, less than 56% of the estimated voting-age population in the US voted. 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. President Obama likes the idea of changing the way or the day Americans vote. In some states where they don't have mail-in ballots, voting can take a lot of time out of the day. by country by date The pros and cons of the felon voting debate include arguments about the social contract, voting while in prison, and paying debts. If so, how? Corrections? https://www.britannica.com/question/Should-election-day-be-made-a-national-holiday. Portugal celebrates the 1580 death of celebrated national poet Luis de Camoes, Spain celebrates Columbus Day (yes, the holiday is a little controversial there as well, although not as much as in the U.S.), the Netherlands celebrates the queen's birthday but it still use her mother's birthday for the date and, in Greenland, the celebrate the longest day of the year. ", "An overall look at Vietnam's election law", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Election_day&oldid=1136894393. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Election Day - Tuesday, Nov. 8 - is a special day, with voters casting ballots across the country. "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons." First published on October 26, 2020 / 10:57 AM. As old as all of these societies are, their senses of national identity are commemorated by remarkably recent events. 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. ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. But some think it should be. Lists national days around the world by country or date. At the top of his list: making Election Day a national holiday. However, making National Election Day a holiday will disadvantage low-income and blue . 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. Election Day is always the first Tuesday after November 1st. Modern life operates around the clock. But experts say improving voter turnout is a complicated issue that no single silver bullet strategy can solve. South Africa's is from the first democratic elections, in 1994. Rather, federal elections are held on the third Monday of October, every four years . 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. 0:58. 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. 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. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. It commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a reverend and civil . TOP QUESTION [8], In the 2016 presidential election, 55.7% of the American voting-age population cast a ballot. 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 simple but effective change, however, could be made in election timing. Executive director and founder of the Center for Election Innovation & Research David Becker argues that increasing turnout is a nuanced problem that can't be fixed by declaring a holiday. It is the day when popular ballots are held to select public officials. [33], Henry Farber, PhD, Hughes-Rogers Professor of Economics at Princeton University, conducted an analysis of states that made Election Day a holiday for state employees. Read More, Election Day is a holiday in Puerto Rico. Here is the relevant passage from Acts 28: as well as other partner offers and accept our. 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. The earliest possible date that Election Day can fall on is November 2nd, and the latest possible date is November 8th. [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. This article is about the general term "election day" worldwide. Even people youd expect to know, like politicians, have been stumped by this very question. But Gupta said that there's been a "lack of political will" to give the initiative some momentum. Last modified on October 1, 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. It is set by statute as "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November.". Others have suggested making Veterans Day (Nov. 11), which is already a paid national holiday, Election Day. Read more: You can take time off from work to vote in 30 states here's the full list. Whether election day in the United States should be made a national holiday is debated. 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. However, some countries, or regions within a country, which hold elections on a weekday declare election day a public holiday. [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. So far this year, hundreds of bills have been introduced that could have the effect of suppressing peoples right to vote. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Stay up to date with what you want to know. In the US, Election Day is not a national holiday. I am from Malta - a tiny EU island nation and today we celebrate the shipwreck of St. Paul on our island. [14], Pew Research Center found that 71% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans support making Election Day a federal holiday. Americans are working all the time. For other uses, see. The US ranks 26th out of 32 for voter turnout among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. As for Denmark, it has a national liberation day and some people celebrate international worker's day, but neither is a public holiday. ", Obama: "Absolutely. Politicians, most recently House Democrats in 2019, have also floated the idea of turning a weekday Election Day into a federal holiday, but to no avail. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. "And we actually have more options than ever before.". By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. 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. [7] A handful of states have made election day a state holiday, including New York, Hawaii, Kentucky, and, in Apr. Veterans Day typically is about one week after Election Day so this would involve little disruption in terms of job schedules and monthly routines.
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