First published on October 26, 2020 / 10:57 AM. Update: Some readers think that Ireland should also be considered an outlier, as St. Patrick's Day is often considered its primary "national day" and is not really an independence or revolution day. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? Here are the four things I found interesting about this once as I mapped it out: 1) Yes, most of the world was shaped by colonialism. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. In Australia, all citizens of age to vote are required, and if they fail to do so, they face fines. 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. There's nothing that would stop voters here from treating a Democracy Day like just another day off.". 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. While countries like Belgium, Sweden, and Turkey saw more than 80% of their estimated voting-age population cast votes in recent elections, less than 56% of the estimated voting-age population in the US voted during the 2016 presidential election. 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. Exact date set by the. However, making National Election Day a holiday will disadvantage low-income and blue . 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. It is set by statute as "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November.". Because the impact of a federal holiday is far-reaching, many states and workplaces would likely follow suit. [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. 25, 2016, Chris Talgo, "Make Election Day a National Holiday? While countries like Belgium, Sweden, and Turkey saw more than 80% of their estimated voting-age population cast votes in recent elections, less than 56% of the estimated voting-age population. 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. Here are five reasons why Election Day should be a national holiday. procon@eb.com, 2022 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Yet, few of us, especially those who have worked on Capitol Hill, harbor . 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those . [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. While young people are generally less likely to vote, they are more motivated by the issue of freedom of speech than older generations. - 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? Many Americans know that Election Day is a Tuesday, but few know why. A simple but effective change, however, could be made in election timing. Consider the pandemic, which has not given essential workers more time off. List two to three ways. Do you think it's time for the US to follow their lead? 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. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Vanita Gupta, CEO of the Leadership Conference on Human and Civil Rights, is working to increase voter participation and decrease voter disenfranchisement. 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. Presidential and semipresidential systems, Constituencies: districting and apportionment. Argentina has instated compulsory voting laws, but only sees about 76% voter turnout. 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. But Gupta said that there's been a "lack of political will" to give the initiative some momentum. Last Tuesday was election day in the United States, and this year we voted in the midterm elections. However, rules, dates and deadlines vary by state, which can be confusing to some voters. On Sunday, Virginia Democratic Gov. Over the course of three days, Estonians could vote by placing their state-issued ID cards (which have an electronic chip . Twenty-seven of the 36 member countries, hold their elections on the weekend. Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those countries. 1. / CBS News. Examine this opinion article from Evil HR Lady Suzanne Lucas on why election day should not be a national holiday. [17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. Many other democracies make election day a holiday and they all have higher voter turnout than we do. February 26, 2023, 5:06 AM. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. 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. [3] In 1800, 83% of the American labor force was agrarian, but today only 11% of total US employment is agriculture-related. Other countries take heroic efforts to ensure that people can vote if they desire. NOW WATCH: Arianna Huffingtons advice to Hillary Clinton, the majority of US states have voter leave laws, You can take time off from work to vote in 30 states here's the full list, voted during the 2016 presidential election, experts say such a scheme is unlikely to fly in the US, The evolution of American voting rights in 242 years shows how far we've come and how far we still have to go, In an interview with President Barack Obama in 2016. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Plus, some experts say moving to weekend voting could substantially increase the cost of running elections. "If I had my way, and I think it is really important, every . The result is voter turnout rates of 72.3% and 77.2% respectively, which is 26-32% higher than the United States. Opponents say it allows only a few states to select the president. 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). Its hard to say. Last modified on October 1, 2020. [25], According to the AFL-CIO, 30 states require employers to allow employees time off for voting. It was created in 1992,. But this arrangement began to raise concerns as travel and communication improved in the 19th century: Results from states that voted earlier could sway the outcome in states that voted later. But while . 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. By comparison,. The US isn't the only developed country that faces this criticism, however. 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. Theyare still considerably higher than in the United States, which typically sees about 65% on average turn out to vote for major elections. If so, how? 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. 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. For federal offices (president, vice president, and United States Congress) and most gubernatorial offices (all except for . Election Day is already a holiday for state employees in more than a dozen states including Kentucky, Michigan, and New York. 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. the Tuesday that occurs within November 2 to November 8. Some countries, about 27 of them,make voting compulsory. "Election Day should be a national holiday so that everyone has the time and opportunity to vote," Sanders' website reads. Japan formally celebrates the anniversary of an ancient mythical emperor, although the holiday is mostly ignored today, due in part to its connections with Japan's ugly imperial history. And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who dont to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. Updates? Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. There is a simple and straightforward solution: make Election Day a national holiday so that people have the time and freedom to vote without taking time off from work. 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. A National Day is a date for a country to celebrate its nationhood. ABUJA, Nigeria -- Nigeria's election commission announced the first results late Sunday from the country's closely watched presidential election, but it could days . 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. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. For more on the debate about making election day a national holiday, visit ProCon.org. Election Day is always the first Tuesday after November 1st. That means the stock market will be open, and so will. And even a number of the blue countries, such as Australia and Canada, are actually the product of colonialism. In 2005, the American Bar Association looked at a few different methods of voting: in 1989 in Namibia, voters marked an X on ballots using ink on their fingers; in Bulgaria, rather than marking a ballot, voters pick from any number of sheets of paper representing specific political parties and puts it in a ballot box; and in Ireland, "they designate their top three candidates by numbering them 1, 2, and 3." Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard 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. And in Australia, there is a fine. Elections Project, which is close to the complete voter . Election Day is not a national holiday in 2022, but some states require employees get paid time off to vote. In-person polls open Sunday at 12:01am, close Saturday at 11:59pm. 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. 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. 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 is a state holiday in Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York. Veterans Day typically is about one week after Election Day so this would involve little disruption in terms of job schedules and monthly routines. Most of these 19 states' policies only cover general elections, though. If Election Day were a national holiday, how would you ensure hourly and low-income workers would get a chance to vote? as well as other partner offers and accept our. Georgias voter suppression bill is an assault on our democracy, Republicans in 48 states have introduced 389 bills, Tracking regulatory changes in the Biden era. Of these countries, 27 hold their national elections on a weekend. [10][11]] 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. [31][32] Trying one of these alternatives would avoid the negative economic impact of closing businesses for Election Day. While making Election Day a national holiday or moving it to the weekend would by no means be a cure-all, it could be used in conjunction with other strategies like automatic voter registration (nearly 87% of registered voters participated in the 2016 election), restoring voting rights for formerly incarcerated people and removing other barriers such as voter ID requirements and voter roll purges that often disenfranchise people of color. Change often comes slowly, subtly. As for Denmark, it has a national liberation day and some people celebrate international worker's day, but neither is a public holiday. 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. An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation.Many countries commemorate their independence from a colonial empire.. Not all countries mark independence as a national holiday. Corrections? States such as Georgia and Iowa already have passed restrictive measures and many others appear poised to do the same thing. Explore which countries have weekend voting with Pew Research. For starters, the United States is rather unique in that it schedules its election day on a weekday, let alone a Tuesday. This article is about the general term "election day" worldwide. This is the day we cast ballots to select public officials from local to the national government. "I'm not a fan," said Eddie Perez, an election administration and election technology expert at the Open Source Election Technology (OSET) Institute. 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. Voter turnout in the United States is usually considered low, especially in years without a presidential election. Should election day be made a national holiday? And that election saw the second highest voter turnout in 20 years. 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? Even people youd expect to know, like politicians, have been stumped by this very question. 26 th January (Republic Day), 15 th August (Independence Day) and 2 nd October (Gandhi Jayanti). Election Day - Tuesday, Nov. 8 - is a special day, with voters casting ballots across the country. Americans are working all the time. All federal elections take place the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. It would give people time to vote. 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. Traditionally elections are held over two days, starting on a Friday afternoon and ending the following Saturday afternoon. 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. 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 . 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. Election Day isn't a national holiday in the US, but some people think it should be. Russia's national holiday only goes back to 1992, when the Russian Federation was founded. Last week his office released a list of voting rights provisions he would support. Should the United States use the Electoral College in presidential elections? Why or why not? Not all of these marked the end of colonialism (for example, Austria's signifies the withdrawal of foreign militaries after World War II and the declaration of neutrality) but the vast majority do. [8][15] A holiday for elections sidesteps the issue of a weekend election, which could conflict with religious obligations. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? There is no fixed election day for general elections, although since 1986 every general election has been held on Sunday. Monday in early September. Israel and South Korea hold their elections on weekdays, but they're national holidays. 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. This page was last edited on 1 February 2023, at 18:43. Today in my country it is a national holiday as we celebrate the day when St. Paul converted our whole country to Catholicism in AD 60. 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. But some think it should be. 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. 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. According to the country's website detailing their "digital society," online voting has soared from 1.9% in 2005 to 30.5% in 2015. 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. 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. Let us make it as easy as we can," Sanders told CBS News. In 2018, the general election was held on Wednesday. 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. 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. Some businesses may close, but their hourly paid employees will either have to use a PTO day or not get paid.. In some states where they don't have mail-in ballots, voting can take a lot of time out of the day. However, for the most part, most countries vote in person at the voting booth, and while countries may alter the length of election periods andthe equipment used in voting from election to election, it still tends to have many of the same features. What we're proposing isn't that every Election Day becomes a national holiday, just the presidential election, which only takes place once every four years. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. The U.S. ranks 26th out of 32 for voter among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. 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. Stay up to date with what you want to know. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says, Battleground Tracker: Tight race in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Lindsey Graham appears before Georgia grand jury, House Jan. 6 committee is having conversations with Justice Department, Georgia grand jury investigating Trump wants testimony from Giuliani, Graham, Trump election interference grand jury to hear from Raffensperger, DHS IG says Wolf changed intel report on Russian interference in 2020. American election laws have been reformed before with minimal impact on voter turnout which remains low compared to other democracies around the world. [14], Pew Research Center found that 71% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans support making Election Day a federal holiday. Presidential elections are held every four years, in years divisible by four, while the elections to the . First Sunday of July until 2018. The types of workers least likely to reap the benefits of a federal holiday are those who already struggle to vote, Shineman noted. Passing voting rights reform will be a crucial component of this response, as would making Election Day a national holiday. A National Day is a date for a country to celebrate its nationhood. 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.
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