Voting Around the World - Home | CultureReady A number of bills like the Weekend Voting Act have been proposed in Congress over the years, often by Democrats. Rather, federal elections are held on the third Monday of October, every four years . Because of the pandemic, more U.S. voters are exploring alternatives to voting on Election Day, such as early voting and mail-in voting. 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. 2) Most other countries are shaped by relatively recent revolutions. Even people youd expect to know, like politicians, have been stumped by this very question. 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. By comparison, Belgium reported the highest OECD voter turnout: 87.2% in the most recent national election. 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 Sweden, for example, 83% of registered voters participated in the 2014 national . In some of these countries, voting is compulsory, and in most of them, Election Day is a holiday. - 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? [17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. 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. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Proponents say the Electoral College ensures everyone selects the president. Or is it an optimistic idea that would exclude already disadvantaged voters while failing to increase turnout? Plus, some experts say moving to weekend voting could substantially increase the cost of running elections. 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.". The pros and cons of the felon voting debate include arguments about the social contract, voting while in prison, and paying debts. Before that point, states could hold their presidential elections on any day within a certain 34-day window. 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. 1. 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. Opponents say it allows only a few states to select the president. For federal offices (president, vice president, and United States Congress) and most gubernatorial offices (all except for . Why Election Day Should Be A National Holiday Compared to other developed countries, America's voter turnout rate is pretty sad. 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. As a holiday, that means several millions of people would have the day off from work or school, making it way . Countries that hold the ballot before Sunday are not permitted to announce results until all other countries have finished voting. There are many ways to boost voter turnout expanding early voting, automatically registering voters, and improving civic education programs . Countries like Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Mexico also showed high voter turnout rates by having holidays. But while . Elections to the Bundestag may be held on another public holiday. Voter turnout in the United States is usually considered low, especially in years without a presidential election. 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. Today in my country it is a national holiday as we celebrate the day 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. In 1845, when Congress established a national election day, it had to be a Tuesday because farmers went to church on Sunday, went to market on Wednesday, and may have needed a day, Monday, to get to their polling place, Gil Troy an American presidential historian and McGill University professor told HuffPost. Four more states only provide time off for biennial, even-year elections: Delaware, Louisiana, Michigan and New Hampshire. Early voting for the midterms varies by state. 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. 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. The US isn't the only developed country that faces this criticism, however. 2. The COVID-19 pandemic convinced. Australia sees around 91%, and 94% in Singapore. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. Some countries use electronic voting machines, such as India, while others rely on paper ballots, such as Zimbabwe. 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. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Stay up to date with what you want to know. 25, 2016, Chris Talgo, "Make Election Day a National Holiday? 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. Election day is 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. 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? Election Day is a state holiday in Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York. Georgia grassroots groups helped Biden win. Like Perez, Becker thinks giving voters more time and opportunity to vote is the best approach. 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. Make Election Day a National Holiday | YIP Institute Should election day be made a national holiday? | Britannica 2020, Virginia. Lessons in How to Hold Elections", "GE2015: First time Polling Day falls on a Friday, but not first time polls held on a weekday", "180/2014 Z.z. Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. Virginia joined these states in April this year. Corrections? 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. 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. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Regional Belgian public holidays during 2023. 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. ", Obama: "Absolutely. First published on October 26, 2020 / 10:57 AM. 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those . 26 th January (Republic Day), 15 th August (Independence Day) and 2 nd October (Gandhi Jayanti). Should Election Day Be a Holiday? - The Atlantic What other improvements could be made to voting and Election Day? [24] Holidays usually mean more work hours for retail workers, because stores run promotions and sales. 1. Keep in mind that in the mid-1800s, the U.S. was largely an agricultural society. To make Election Day a national holiday, it would take an act of Congress, and so far, no bills proposing such action have passed. Read more: You can take time off from work to vote in 30 states here's the full list. About 54 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots in the 2012 presidential contest between Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney, according to the Pew Research Center. [8], Among registered voters in the 2016 US presidential election, being too busy or having a conflicting schedule was the third-highest reason cited for not voting, accounting for 14% of registered voters who did not cast a vote (about 2.7 million people). 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. Americans are working all the time. Many other democracies make election day a holiday and they all have higher voter turnout than we do. Some countries, about 27 of them, make voting compulsory. Granderson: Why aren't Democrats making election day a state holiday 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. Most of these 19 states' policies only cover general elections, though. "Election day should be a national holiday" is a claim of policy because we are discussing a policy which searches a solution for the presented argument. 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. There's nothing that would stop voters here from treating a Democracy Day like just another day off.". However, the issues vary among different demographic groups. A lot of people go to work, or they're in school during the weekday. In an interview published Thursday, President Obama endorsed the idea of holding U.S. federal elections on weekends or national holidays. Is Election Day a federal holiday? 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. Making Election Day a holiday would not necessarily involve adding a new holiday, which employers might resistparticularly following the addition of Juneteenth as a national holiday last week. Think of things such as voter ID laws, lowering the voting age, and abolishing the Electoral College. [26] Caravanas are joyful, noisy parades of cars festooned with flags and other decorations that stream through Puerto Ricos streets ahead of an election and are credited with the islands over 80% voter turnout. ", "An overall look at Vietnam's election law", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Election_day&oldid=1136894393. It is set by statute as "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November.". John M. Cunningham, "Why Are U.S. The correct answer is B. Advertisement Advertisement marberman marberman The Freedom to Vote Act would make Election Day a national holiday. 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.. Should the United States Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections? 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. This article was published more than10 years ago. 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. Rose Marcario, CEO, stated, demonstrating your companys commitment to voting will reinforce how essential it is that every eligible voter shows up. And that election saw the second highest voter turnout in 20 years. The case for making Election Day an official holiday The earliest possible date that Election Day can fall on is November 2nd, and the latest possible date is November 8th. Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey agrees. 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. And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who dont to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. History of Election Day Voters in more than one-third of the country enjoy some form of an Election Day holiday, according to RepresentUs. Senator Bernie Sanders has certainly tried heintroducedthe "Democracy Day Act" in 2018, which proposed making Election Day a federal holiday. 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. 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. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off.
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