Sign up to receive a weekly email update on forthcoming public holidays around the world in your inbox every Sunday. Ralph Northam signed into law a measure that, among other things, makes Election Day a state holiday in the commonwealth. Passing voting rights reform will be a crucial component of this response, as would making Election Day a national holiday. [36]. Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. Opponents say kids arent mature enough to vote. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. 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. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. 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. [8][15] A holiday for elections sidesteps the issue of a weekend election, which could conflict with religious obligations. Read More, Election Day is a holiday in Puerto Rico. 2020, Virginia. Maybe Making Election Day a National Holiday Wouldn't Really Work Rose Marcario, CEO, stated, demonstrating your companys commitment to voting will reinforce how essential it is that every eligible voter shows up. 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. Mail-in voting starts 1 month before polls open. 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. 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. A surprising map of the world's national holidays (only two countries Puerto Rico's voter turnout has gone as high as 80 . Make Election Day a national holiday - Brookings Election Day in the United States - Time and Date Have you experienced an election day in another country, or do you know how voting works in a place we haven't mentioned here? Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Why Election Day Should Be A National Holiday 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. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Today in my country it is a national holiday as we celebrate the day Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey agrees. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? [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. by country by date 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. 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. 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. List of national independence days - Wikipedia The correct answer is B. Advertisement Advertisement marberman marberman The result is voter turnout rates of 72.3% and 77.2% respectively, which is 26-32% higher than the United States. 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. Sunday. 27 September (Wednesday): Day of the French-speaking Community - commemorates the victory of the patriots against the Dutch army in Brussels in 1830. ", Obama: "Absolutely. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? History of Election Day 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. 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. By comparison,. Compared to other developed countries, America's voter turnout rate is pretty sad. Again, it is not clear that this is demonstrably true but it is a widespread perception. Understanding what happened in the Chicago mayoral race. 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. First Sunday of October. Other countries may only require it of certain people, and otherwise make it voluntary for others. For other uses, see. [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. Incidentally, Australia routinely reaches more than 90 percent voter turnout, compared to the United States, where average voter turnout in presidential elections since 1965 has been only 54%. 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? ABUJA, Nigeria -- Nigeria's election commission announced the first results late Sunday from the country's closely watched presidential election, but it could days . [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. of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents and 59% of Republicans and GOP leaners said they would support making Election Day a national holiday. John M. Cunningham, "Why Are U.S. 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. The case for making Election Day an official holiday In 2018, a Pewstudy found that 65% of Americans favored making Election Day a national holiday. Is Election Day a national holiday? Why you don't get the day off ", "An overall look at Vietnam's election law", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Election_day&oldid=1136894393. 26K views, 1.2K likes, 65 loves, 454 comments, 23 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Citizen TV Kenya: #FridayNight "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. 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 the 2016 presidential election, 14% of registered voters cited being too busy or having a conflicting schedule as the main reason they didnt cast their ballots, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data. [24] Holidays usually mean more work hours for retail workers, because stores run promotions and sales. 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. Virginia joined these states in April this year. Indigenous Peoples Day is a local and state holiday in some parts of the country usually held on Columbus Day that celebrates the cultures of Native Americans. Making the presidential election a national holiday is another way to get people to the polls. According to the country's website detailing their "digital society," online voting has soared from 1.9% in 2005 to 30.5% in 2015. However, making National Election Day a holiday will disadvantage low-income and blue . "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. 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. So, focusing voting efforts to one day doesn't do enough to accommodate everyone, Becker argues. November 7, 2023. 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. Corrections? In previous elections, that percentage was even higher. [18][19], Federal law doesnt require private employers to give employees paid federal holidays. 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. Most of these 19 states' policies only cover general elections, though. It is the day when popular ballots are held to select public officials. In the 2016 election, only 56% of voting-age Americans cast their ballots. ", "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.
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