In some states where they don't have mail-in ballots, voting can take a lot of time out of the day. [18][19], Federal law doesnt require private employers to give employees paid federal holidays. National and Festival Holiday Act, which is applicable to all establishments in the country, irrespective of under which law it is formed it is mandatory to grant leave on following 3 days, i.e. Consider the potential benefits and difficulties of changing election day. From 2021, the first Sunday of June. [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. Tuesday was selected because it was the most convenient. Because the impact of a federal holiday is far-reaching, many states and workplaces would likely follow suit. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. 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. 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. 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. October 26, 2020 / 10:57 AM It is set by statute as "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November.". It happens to be on the day the politicians themselves get elected. Change often comes slowly, subtly. By comparison,. 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 you make election day a federal holiday, youll have all the people who work in these types of jobs still having to work, being inundated with customers who have the day off and they wont have child care because the schools will be closed, Suzanne Lucas, who previously worked in human resources, wrote in a piece for Inc.com. ", "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. [ 17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. Proponents say teens are knowledgeable enough to vote. In Estonia, a national ID card (required for every citizen in the country) can be used to vote remotely. Meanwhile, in Macedonia this past September, voters chose to stay away from the polls because of the proposed name change for the country. [4][5], The United States currently has 10 national holidays, including Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Christmas Day. a list of voting rights provisions he would support. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Australia sees around 91%, and 94% in Singapore. ABUJA, Nigeria -- Nigeria's election commission announced the first results late Sunday from the country's closely watched presidential election, but it could days . 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. 25, 2016, Chris Talgo, "Make Election Day a National Holiday? - Vincent Hutchings, a University of Michigan political science professor, - Gil Troy, American presidential historian, 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, Joaquin Corbalan / EyeEm via Getty Images, as travel and communication improved in the 19th century, being too busy or having a conflicting schedule, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, substantially increase the cost of running elections, move that would make it easier for Americans to vote, The types of workers least likely to reap the benefits. There are some exceptions; as Wednesday was not covered by the available dates, the Netherlands holds elections on Thursday, while Denmark holds elections on Sunday. 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. However, some countries, or regions within a country, which hold elections on a weekday declare election day a public holiday. Delaware Hawaii Kentucky Louisiana Montana New Jersey New York Ohio Puerto Rico Virginia West Virginia While Tuesdays have been custom for elections in the United States, Sunday is the day of. Twenty-seven of the 36 member countries, hold their elections on the weekend. 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. (And in case youre curious, November was chosen as the month for similar reasons: It was after fall harvest was over but before the cold winter weather set in.). The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a group that includes 36 countries. There is no fixed election day for general elections, although since 1986 every general election has been held on Sunday. 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. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. US voter turnout trails most developed countries. 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. In the US, Election Day is not a national holiday. All rights reserved. "[Early and at-home voting] helps prevent bottlenecks for election administrators because it 'flattens the curve' for when ballots are cast by large numbers of voters," Perez said. 26K views, 1.2K likes, 65 loves, 454 comments, 23 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Citizen TV Kenya: #FridayNight Would making Election Day a federal holiday increase voter turnout and celebrate democracy? America is walking the knifes edge between maintaining and losing democracy. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Whether election day in the United States should be made a national holiday is debated. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. Could that ever happen in the U.S.? It would also blunt the impact of many of these baldly anti-democratic movesopening the doors to the house as Republicans attempt to shut the windows. 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. 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. While some states have made Election Day a civic holiday (though it primarily applies to public workers) and most have laws that require companies to give employees some time off to vote, none of the legislative efforts to enact these changes on a national level have been successful. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Election Day - Tuesday, Nov. 8 - is a special day, with voters casting ballots across the country. Examine this opinion article from Evil HR Lady Suzanne Lucas on why election day should not be a national holiday. Making the presidential election a national holiday is another way to get people to the polls. https://www.britannica.com/question/Should-election-day-be-made-a-national-holiday. And the empire has been pretty consistently breaking apart over the last half century Scotland is maybe next so it's not like there is a national unification to celebrate. Because Saturday and Sunday are Sabbath days for devout Jews and Christians, elections would probably have to be held over the two-day period creating a need for more poll workers and a process for securing ballots overnight, Victoria Shineman, a University of Pittsburgh political science professor, wrote in The Washington Post. "We should be making it easier for people to vote, not harder. Modern life operates around the clock. Estonia is the only country to fully adopt online voting, but other countries, such as Australia, Canada, and Norway, have looked into pursuing it as an option in the future. 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. "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. Mr. CHRISTENSEN: One of the biggest countries that uses compulsory voting is Australia. This article is about the general term "election day" worldwide. Reformers will be far more successful adding a few days or options or opportunities than trying to undo Election Day.. [31]. Office Holidays provides calendars with dates and information on public holidays and bank holidays in key countries around the world. A lot of people go to work, or they're in school during the weekday. Updates? As a holiday, that means several millions of people would have the day off from work or school, making it way . The U.S. is one of only nine member nations that have weekday voting. It's a reminder of turmoil of the last century a very short span in historical terms and how deeply its events influence the world today. 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. "While this would not be a cure-all, it would indicate a national commitment to create a more vibrant democracy.". Third Monday of October every four years, or after Parliament is dissolved by the. ", Obama: "Absolutely. In the 2016 election, only 56% of voting-age Americans cast their ballots. All 435 representatives were up for re-election, as well as a third ofsenators, and countless elections for governors, mayors, state legislators, and local government across the country. 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. They stated, Citizen Day would do more than give our democracy the honor that it deserves; it would help our democracy work better. Should the United States use the Electoral College in presidential elections? Other countries may only require it of certain people, and otherwise make it voluntary for others. "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. "If I had my way, and I think it is really important, every . 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. 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. 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. Incidentally, Australia routinely reaches more than 90. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. Other countries take heroic efforts to ensure that people can vote if they desire. Or is it an optimistic idea that would exclude already disadvantaged voters while failing to increase turnout? [24] Holidays usually mean more work hours for retail workers, because stores run promotions and sales. Election Day is the day for general elections of public officials in the U.S. There's nothing that would stop voters here from treating a Democracy Day like just another day off.". 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. Over the course of three days, Estonians could vote by placing their state-issued ID cards (which have an electronic chip . It can fall on or between November 2 and November 8. Right now, federal elections are always held on Tuesdays, because farmers in the 1840s needed multiple days to get to the . CBS News reporter covering climate change and energy. First Sunday of October. Explain your answers. Understanding what happened in the Chicago mayoral race. Hailey said the country needs a "cultural shift" to prioritize voting. The types of workers least likely to reap the benefits of a federal holiday are those who already struggle to vote, Shineman noted. 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. Election dates are determined by the General Elections Commission (Indonesian: Typically on a Friday, but precise date set by, Municipal, provincial, and regional elections take place on a Sunday, as do elections for the. 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%. Establishing Election Day as a holiday, taken together with the pending federal voting rights reforms, would go a long way towards stabilizing democracy and ensuring basic democratic rights. Four more states only provide time off for biennial, even-year elections: Delaware, Louisiana, Michigan and New Hampshire. An ordinary act of Congress could move Election Day to a Saturday or make it a holiday, thereby giving more people more . Tuesday was chosen because it was most convenient for farmers traveling by horse and buggy at the time. Disclaimer: Dates and Events correct at time of printing but may change without our knowledge. I'll look into this some more and may change it on the map. 3) Britain and Denmark have no national days. The United States has held federal elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years since 1845. For more on the debate about making election day a national holiday, visit ProCon.org. 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. Do you think it's time for the US to follow their lead? [36]. Should Election Day be a national holiday?