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. He says it's more important to spread voting out over a period of days and methods. Regional Belgian public holidays during 2023. The US isn't the only developed country that faces this criticism, however. 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those . 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 . Managing Editor The outliers are a tiny minority, and only two countries have no formal national day at all. The U.S. is one of only nine member nations that have weekday voting. 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. 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. 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. We are very proud that we are mentioned in the Bible. Such a change would mostly benefit white-collar workers instead of the lower-income workers its designed to help. 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. Part of HuffPost Home & Living. 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those countries. Election day is a national holiday. 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. Omissions? Monday in early September. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 ], ProCon.org, "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons,", ProCon.org, "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons. But while . [18][19], Federal law doesnt require private employers to give employees paid federal holidays. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Countries outpacing the U.S. include the U.K, Mexico and Canada. I think, to the best of my knowledge, it's something like $20. As Congress continues to grapple with voting rights legislation this week, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has used his considerable influence as the Senates key swing vote to set the terms of the debate. 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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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 many other democracies around the world, national elections are held on the weekend or are a federal holiday. Holidays, law.cornell.edu (accessed Sep. 30, 2019), Matthew Haag, "Mitch McConnell Calls Push to Make Election Day a Holiday a Democratic Power Grab," nytimes.com, Jan. 31, 2019, Drew DeSilver, "U.S. Trails Most Developed Countries in Voter Turnout, pewresearch.org, May 21, 2018, Gustavo Lpez and Antonio Flores, "Dislike of Candidates or Campaign Issues Was Most Common Reason for Not Voting in 2016, pewresearch.org, June 1, 2017, Beau C. Tremitiere, "Election Day Should Be a National Holiday, cnbc.com, July 5, 2016, York Dispatch Editorial Board, "Editorial: On Voting, GOP Takes a Holiday from its Senses, yorkdispatch.com, Feb. 1, 2019, Tacey Rychter, "How Compulsory Voting Works: Australians Explain," nytimes.com, Nov. 5, 2018, Archon Fung and Jane Mansbridge, "Lets Vote, Party and Celebrate American Democracy on a New Holiday Called Citizen Day, usatoday.com, Oct. 26, 2018, Thomas MacMillan, "This Might Be the Best Idea for Turning out More Voters in U.S. Elections, nymag.com, July 8, 2017, Drew Desilver, "Weekday Elections Set the U.S. apart from Many Other Advanced Democracies, pewresearch.org, Nov. 6, 2018, Kathy Frankovic, "St. Patricks Day Not So Popular - Americans Would Rather Election Day a Holiday, today.yougov.com, Mar. 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.. 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. One major reason: It comes down to tradition, Troy said. 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. 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.". [23], Annie McDonald, Editor of the Berkeley Public Policy Journal, noted that the workers who are least likely to get paid holidays are those who already have less of a voice in the political process: Americans working in retail, hospitality, and service jobs, for example, would most likely not receive the benefit of a paid holiday to vote. So, focusing voting efforts to one day doesn't do enough to accommodate everyone, Becker argues. Without this simple step toward turning out as many Americans as possible to vote, any reform will be incomplete. 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. [15] Israel and South Korea make national elections a holiday to avoid economic hardship for voters. Think about it. [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. Start the discussion over on our Facebook page, and let us know about civic engagement in your town, state, or country! [27], Companies including Abercrombie & Fitch Co., Farmers Insurance, Kaiser Permanente, Patagonia, and Walmart have joined Make Time to Vote campaign, which encourages employers to provide paid time off, schedule no meetings on Election Day, and give information on mail-in ballots and early voting. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Litigation pending before the Supreme Court this term in Brnovich v. DNC, however, threatens to undermine this rule. 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. 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. 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. If so, how? Twenty-seven of the 36 member countries, hold their elections on the weekend. It can fall on or between November 2 and November 8. 3. Here is the relevant passage from Acts 28: Rose Marcario, CEO, stated, demonstrating your companys commitment to voting will reinforce how essential it is that every eligible voter shows up. For more information on how to vote, head over to our TurboVote module. No: Too Inconvenient, Early-Voting Options Ample, orlandosentinel.com, Nov. 5, 2018, Henry Farber, "Increasing Voter Turnout: Is Democracy Day the Answer?, princeton.edu, Feb. 2009, Sarah Issenberg, "The Mystery of the Puerto Rico Voter, slate.com, Jan. 27, 2012, Paul LeBlanc, "Virginia Governor Makes Election Day a Holiday and Expands Early Voting,". While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. 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. From 2021, the first Sunday of June. 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. 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. [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. Right now, federal elections are always held on Tuesdays, because farmers in the 1840s needed multiple days to get to the . By Monday morning, nearly 60 million had already voted early across the country, closing in on half of 2016's total voter turnout. [14], Pew Research Center found that 71% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans support making Election Day a federal holiday. 3. The U.S. House of Representatives just passed H.R. 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. It was created in 1992,. Most of these 19 states' policies only cover general elections, though. 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. The Evolution of American Voting Rights in 242 Years Shows How Far Weve Come -- and How Far We Still Have to Go, businessinsider.com, Sep. 24, 2019, University of Houston Digital History, "Agriculture, digitalhistory.uh.edu (accessed Sep. 24, 2019), USDA, "Ag and Food Sectors and the Economy, ers.usda.gov, Sep. 20, 2019, Legal Information Institute, "5 U.S. Code 6103. 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. "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. Sunday: first Sunday of February for the President, Vice-President, and Legislative Assembly; second Sunday of February for municipal elections. First Sunday of October. Compared to other developed countries, America's voter turnout rate is pretty sad. The correct answer is B. Advertisement Advertisement marberman marberman 11 July (Tuesday): Celebration of the Golden Spurs (Day of the Flemish Community) - celebrates the victory of the count of Flanders and the borough militia against the king of France outside Courtrai. Do you think it's time for the US to follow their lead? [17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. 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. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. High turnout means that people are successfully exercising their rights-a good in itselfbut it also ensures the continuing health of majority rule. 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. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? In 2007, the country held the world's first general Internet election. [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. 25, 2016, Chris Talgo, "Make Election Day a National Holiday? A National Day is a date for a country to celebrate its nationhood. 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. It is the day when popular ballots are held to select public officials. Modern life operates around the clock. Usually Wednesday. "And we actually have more options than ever before.". "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. These efforts challenge fundamental values of American democracy and constitute a serious threat to the one person, one vote principle. But in many other countries, the government automatically registers voters and holds elections on days that are weekend days or national holidays. Plus, some experts say moving to weekend voting could substantially increase the cost of running elections. Keep in mind that in the mid-1800s, the U.S. was largely an agricultural society. 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. Again, it is not clear that this is demonstrably true but it is a widespread perception. And that election saw the second highest voter turnout in 20 years. 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. The result is voter turnout rates of 72.3% and 77.2% respectively, which is 26-32% higher than the United States. Veterans Day typically is about one week after Election Day so this would involve little disruption in terms of job schedules and monthly routines. Currently, 22 countries around the world have mandatory voting, and ten of those countries enforce the policy, including Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Peru, and Switzerland. [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. 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? Essential reporting and analysis from correspondents around the world. 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. States such as Georgia and Iowa already have passed restrictive measures and many others appear poised to do the same thing. On Sunday, Virginia Democratic Gov. And. As old as all of these societies are, their senses of national identity are commemorated by remarkably recent events.