2. [18][19], Federal law doesnt require private employers to give employees paid federal holidays. "While this would not be a cure-all, it would indicate a national commitment to create a more vibrant democracy.". Last week his office released a list of voting rights provisions he would support. / CBS News. 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. Some businesses may close, but their hourly paid employees will either have to use a PTO day or not get paid.. They stated, Citizen Day would do more than give our democracy the honor that it deserves; it would help our democracy work better. the Tuesday that occurs within November 2 to November 8. ABUJA, Nigeria -- Nigeria's election commission announced the first results late Sunday from the country's closely watched presidential election, but it could days . Will the party listen to them on the issues? 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. 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. In 2018, the general election was held on Wednesday. Think of things such as voter ID laws, lowering the voting age, and abolishing the Electoral College. https://www.britannica.com/question/Should-election-day-be-made-a-national-holiday. The name change required at least 50% voter participation, and opponents to the name change advocated not voting at all rather than voting against the measure. 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. 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. 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? 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. 0:00. a list of voting rights provisions he would support. 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. CBS News reporter covering climate change and energy. 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.. According to Pew Research data, US voter turnout trails most developed countries. Over 60 court cases reviewed the evidence and judgesappointed by both Republican and Democratic presidents alikereached the same conclusion: there was no compelling evidence of fraud. And that election saw the second highest voter turnout in 20 years. Even people youd expect to know, like politicians, have been stumped by this very question. Thats not to say no one has tried. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 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. 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 . But while . During the 2016 presidential election, less than 56% of the estimated voting-age population in the US voted. Its hard to say. "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. [14], Pew Research Center found that 71% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans support making Election Day a federal holiday. Virginia joined these states in April this year. 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. ", "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. This is partially due to the influence of Protestantism, which historically set restrictions on activities other than church-going during the Sabbath (usually considered as falling on a Sunday). 27 September (Wednesday): Day of the French-speaking Community - commemorates the victory of the patriots against the Dutch army in Brussels in 1830. 2. First published on October 26, 2020 / 10:57 AM. ", Obama: "Absolutely. The U.S. is one of only nine member nations that have weekday voting. [31][32] Trying one of these alternatives would avoid the negative economic impact of closing businesses for Election Day. [ 18][ 19] Con 1 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. Sign up to receive a weekly email update on forthcoming public holidays around the world in your inbox every Sunday. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. Of the nonvoters surveyed by the US Census Bureau about the 2008 presidential election, the 2012 presidential election, and numerous other elections, the most commonly cited reason for not voting was being too busy or having conflicting work schedules. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Over the course of three days, Estonians could vote by placing their state-issued ID cards (which have an electronic chip . 4. Start the discussion over on our Facebook page, and let us know about civic engagement in your town, state, or country! Vote.org has called on Amazon, Disney, McDonald's and others to offer paid time off for employees to vote and or work the polls. 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. But some think it should be. 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. [8], In the 2016 presidential election, 55.7% of the American voting-age population cast a ballot. 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. If Election Day were a national holiday, how would you ensure hourly and low-income workers would get a chance to vote? "Election Day should be a national holiday so that everyone has the time and opportunity to vote," Sanders' website reads. Topics Explainers Politics US Evergreen US Explainers YOU MIGHT LIKE Some countries use electronic voting machines, such as India, while others rely on paper ballots, such as Zimbabwe. From 2021, the first Sunday of June. [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. But some election analysts told CBS News that making Election Day a holiday is not a way to make voting easier. 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. It is very, very hard to change core American traditions which Americans see not only as propping up their democracy but perpetuating its legitimacy, he said. Elections to the Bundestag may be held on another public holiday. That's true, although the separate "National Day of Commemoration" occurs on the anniversary of the truce ending the Irish war of independence. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. 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. [15] Israel and South Korea make national elections a holiday to avoid economic hardship for voters. We are the only advanced democracy that makes it deliberately difficult for people to vote. Democracy on the ballot will the remaining election deniers succeed? Again, it is not clear that this is demonstrably true but it is a widespread perception. What other improvements could be made to voting and Election Day? Australia sees around 91%, and 94% in Singapore. 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. [14][35] In Australia, where voting is mandatory, elections are celebrated with parties and barbeques nationwide, resulting in turnout rates around 90%. Election Day in the United States of America is the Tuesday following the first Monday in November. 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those . 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. First Sunday of October. Election Day is always the first Tuesday after November 1st. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. Could that ever happen in the U.S.? Some countries, about 27 of them, make voting compulsory. Modern life operates around the clock. I think, to the best of my knowledge, it's something like $20. And even a number of the blue countries, such as Australia and Canada, are actually the product of colonialism. This map, inspired by a Reddit thread with a similar map, shows the national days of the world's countries. 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%. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Most of these 19 states' policies only cover general elections, though. Or is it an optimistic idea that would exclude already disadvantaged voters while failing to increase turnout? Sunday: first Sunday of February for the President, Vice-President, and Legislative Assembly; second Sunday of February for municipal elections. Incidentally, Australia routinely reaches more than 90. In-person polls open Sunday at 12:01am, close Saturday at 11:59pm. Congress would shore up the peoples right to vote while guaranteeing the time to engage in this fundamental right. The outliers are a tiny minority, and only two countries have no formal national day at all. Read More, Election Day is a holiday in Puerto Rico. It is very, very hard to change core American traditions.. In Thailand, one of the very few countries outside of Europe that was never formally colonized, the king's birthday is celebrated (don't insult him or you might go to jail, per the lese majeste laws). In theory, it seems that any move that would make it easier for Americans to vote would increase participation. ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Managing Editor Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. 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. And even if it were a federal holiday, that wouldn't ensure that all voting-age Americans would have the day off. For federal offices (president, vice president, and United States Congress) and most gubernatorial offices (all except for . For rest of the festival holidays the declaration . The COVID-19 pandemic convinced. 3) Britain and Denmark have no national days. Many other democracies make election day a holiday and they all have higher voter turnout than we do. Traditionally elections are held over two days, starting on a Friday afternoon and ending the following Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, in Macedonia this past September, voters chose to stay away from the polls because of the proposed name change for the country. This year, Election . October 26, 2020 / 10:57 AM 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. Last Tuesday was election day in the United States, and this year we voted in the midterm elections. And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who don't to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. Do you think it's time for the US to follow their lead? But Gupta said that there's been a "lack of political will" to give the initiative some momentum. Office Holidays provides calendars with dates and information on public holidays and bank holidays in key countries around the world. While no state has proposed reinstating the literacy tests, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses that effectively ended the burst of African-American franchise during Reconstruction, todays efforts to disenfranchise minority voters are similarly unsubtle. Furthermore, making this small shift would celebrate the purpose and sacrifice of our fighting forces. While these provisions represent major steps in the right direction, they are not enough. [15] A survey showed that US adults would rather have a federal holiday on Election Day than on Christmas Eve, the Friday after Thanksgiving, or St. Patricks day. Elections Project, which is close to the complete voter . States such as Georgia and Iowa already have passed restrictive measures and many others appear poised to do the same thing. 1, which adds a new paid holiday for federal employees every other year. as well as other partner offers and accept our. 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. In 2018, a Pewstudy found that 65% of Americans favored making Election Day a national holiday. While the majority of US states have voter leave laws that guarantee certain employees a modicum of time off to vote, no federal law currently mandates that employees get time off 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. [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. Argentina has instated compulsory voting laws, but only sees about 76% voter turnout. Election Day is observed on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, taking place on November 7 this year. 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. Understanding what happened in the Chicago mayoral race. 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. Proponents say teens are knowledgeable enough to vote. The US ranks 26th out of 32 for voter turnout among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. [16]. ], [Editors Note: The MLA citation style requires double spacing within entries. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a group that includes 36 countries. According to Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus, Australia adopted compulsory voting in 1924 after turnout there dropped to less than 60 percent in 1922. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 In some of these countries, voting is compulsory, and in most of them, Election Day is a holiday. In Sweden, for example, 83% of registered voters participated in the 2014 national . But it is not a federal holiday.