[24] Holidays usually mean more work hours for retail workers, because stores run promotions and sales. It happens to be on the day the politicians themselves get elected. 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. ", "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. the Tuesday that occurs within November 2 to November 8. [36]. But it is not a federal holiday. By law, polling day is a public holiday if it falls on a weekday. It is set by statute as "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November.". And in Australia, there is a fine. ABUJA, Nigeria -- Nigeria's election commission announced the first results late Sunday from the country's closely watched presidential election, but it could days . [10][11]] 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. 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. All federal elections take place the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Below are the proper citations for this page according to four style manuals (in alphabetical order): the Modern Language Association Style Manual (MLA), the Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago), the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), and Kate Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Turabian). 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. 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,". What other improvements could be made to voting and Election Day? On Sunday, Virginia Democratic Gov. A National Day is a date for a country to celebrate its nationhood. 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. https://www.britannica.com/question/Should-election-day-be-made-a-national-holiday. Election Day (United States) - Wikipedia ", Others, however, are skeptical that creating a national holiday would increase voter turnout. I am from Malta - a tiny EU island nation and today we celebrate the shipwreck of St. Paul on our island. This is the day we cast ballots to select public officials from local to the national government. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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.However, some countries, or regions within a country, which hold elections on a weekday declare election day a public holiday. Saturday, but can be any day of the week, such as when a Saturday conflicts with a holiday. 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. 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. 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. Election Day is the day for general elections of public officials in the U.S. 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. Essential reporting and analysis from correspondents around the world. 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? Most others are not so recent, but still not so old: Taiwan's, for example, goes back to a 1911 uprising. For more on the debate about making election day a national holiday, visit ProCon.org. Other politicians, businesses, and advocacy groups have voiced their approval of celebrating Election Day as a national holiday. [14][35] In Australia, where voting is mandatory, elections are celebrated with parties and barbeques nationwide, resulting in turnout rates around 90%. 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 . [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. Why Election Day Should Be A National Holiday In America Is Election Day a federal holiday? Here's what is open, closed Tuesday [26] Caravanas are joyful, noisy parades of cars festooned with flags and other decorations that stream through Puerto Ricos streets ahead of an election and are credited with the islands over 80% voter turnout. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? Whether election day should be made a national holiday is debated. 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. 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. And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who don't to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. [14], Pew Research Center found that 71% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans support making Election Day a federal holiday. Elections to the Bundestag may be held on another public holiday. There are many ways to boost voter turnout expanding early voting, automatically registering voters, and improving civic education programs . Could that ever happen in the U.S.? Some countries, about 27 of them, make voting compulsory. In the United States, it varies from state to state and even county to county, so the idea that one entire country might use the same voting method is actually pretty unique to Americans! 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. 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. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, 2020 North Macedonian parliamentary election, "THE ELECTORAL CODE OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Sign up for notifications from Insider! However, those numbers may be attributed to a combination of factors not solely because their elections occur on non-work days. 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. The ideal solution is simple: Congress should make Election Day a national holiday, or move Election Day to the weekend. Experts told CBS News that it's no coincidence this is occurring in a year when Americans have more time and more ways to vote than ever before. 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. Compulsory voting does not necessarily guarantee 100% turnout rates, however, though they still see higher rates than countries which do not require it. 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.". To make Election Day a national holiday, it would take an act of Congress, and so far, no bills proposing such action have passed. Even among the nine weekday voting countries, South Korea's and Israel's voters take a day off work on the day of the election to ensure higher electoral participation. Election Day in the United States - Time and Date "We should be making it easier for people to vote, not harder. Election Day - Tuesday, Nov. 8 - is a special day, with voters casting ballots across the country. Yet, few of us, especially those who have worked on Capitol Hill, harbor . 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. Election Day in USA in 2023 | Office Holidays This article was published more than10 years ago. [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. What if Election Day were a holiday? - USA TODAY Voter turnout in the United States is usually considered low, especially in years without a presidential election. There is a "need to make voting more accessible, to make it more of a civic duty, to make sure that people don't have to choose between their job and their ability to cast the ballot are issues that are more prominent today than ever before," she told CBS News. Start the discussion over on our Facebook page, and let us know about civic engagement in your town, state, or country! The US ranks 26th out of 32 for voter turnout among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. Opponents say kids arent mature enough to vote. That means the stock market will be open, and so will. 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. For more on the debate about making election day a national holiday, visit ProCon.org. Voting Around the World - Home | CultureReady A simple but effective change, however, could be made in election timing. [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. These changes would send the message that voting is not a privilege to be bought with job security and time to spare, but rather an essential responsibility every person ought to undertake. It's Time to Make Election Day a National Holiday (Once - HuffPost ", "An overall look at Vietnam's election law", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Election_day&oldid=1136894393. I'll look into this some more and may change it on the map. Do you think it's time for the US to follow their lead? Some countries, about 27 of them,make voting compulsory. 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. Here are five reasons why Election Day should be a national holiday. 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. Sign up to receive a weekly email update on forthcoming public holidays around the world in your inbox every Sunday. 2. 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. Public holidays in Belgium in 2022 and 2023 | Expatica 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 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. Other countries take heroic efforts to ensure that people can vote if they desire. 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. States such as Georgia and Iowa already have passed restrictive measures and many others appear poised to do the same thing. ], [Editors Note: The MLA citation style requires double spacing within entries. They stated, Citizen Day would do more than give our democracy the honor that it deserves; it would help our democracy work better. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? And even a number of the blue countries, such as Australia and Canada, are actually the product of colonialism. An additional day off school would prove to be problematic for individuals who may not have other readily accessible forms of childcare. [24], People who have already suffered significant disenfranchisement, such as women and people of color, are more likely to be working those low-income jobs that wouldnt get the time off to vote even on a national holiday. 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. Why Election Day is on a Tuesday in November in the U.S. | Pew Research Declaring Election Day a holiday has been proposed various times in Congress; it's a popular idea. Managing Editor 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. 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. 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. / CBS News. Estonia This tiny Baltic nation is making waves for introducing something that seems completely logical in the digital age -- online voting. 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. OK, so why Tuesday? Turning Election Day into a national holiday would instill a sense of pride in all citizens, knowing they have the ability to cast a ballot regardless of work. Even people youd expect to know, like politicians, have been stumped by this very question. The United States has held federal elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years since 1845. ", Obama: "Absolutely. Granderson: Why aren't Democrats making election day a state holiday Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. But some election analysts told CBS News that making Election Day a holiday is not a way to make voting easier. In 2018, the general election was held on Wednesday. So far this year, hundreds of bills have been introduced that could have the effect of suppressing peoples right to vote. Election officials in various states have predicted historic levels of turnout in 2020, with a chance to reach the highest ever. The pros and cons of the felon voting debate include arguments about the social contract, voting while in prison, and paying debts. 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. 2. 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. 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. 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. Ralph Northam signed into law a measure that, among other things, makes Election Day a state holiday in the commonwealth. 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. Should the United States Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections? 3) Britain and Denmark have no national days. as well as other partner offers and accept our. He concluded that having an election holiday, by itself, is not an effective strategy to increase voter turnout. [34], Automatic voter registration, by contrast, could register an additional 22 million people and create 7.9 million new voters nationwide within a year. 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. Election day should be a national holidayCommentary - CNBC "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. In the US, Election Day is not a national holiday. An ordinary act of Congress could move Election Day to a Saturday or make it a holiday, thereby giving more people more . The answer dates back to 1845, when Congress passed a law declaring that federal elections would be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. 5. [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. For other uses, see. Here are the proper bibliographic citations for this page according to four style manuals (in alphabetical order): [Editor's Note: The APA citation style requires double spacing within entries. There's nothing that would stop voters here from treating a Democracy Day like just another day off.". [2] Sundays were for rest and worship, and on Wednesdays farmers typically sold their crops at the market, making Tuesdays the best day of the week. Election Day in the United States of America is the Tuesday following the first Monday in November. Most National Days are fixed, exceptions to this are shown below. [ 17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. Should Election Day in the U.S. be a national holiday? A surprising map of the world's national holidays (only two countries 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. President Obama likes the idea of changing the way or the day Americans vote. Many other democracies make election day a holiday and they all have higher voter turnout than we do. 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. Some countries, including Belgium and Turkey, see such high voter turnout mainly because of their compulsory voting laws. 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 . Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters. The outliers are a tiny minority, and only two countries have no formal national day at all. There is no fixed election day for general elections, although since 1986 every general election has been held on Sunday. Election Day National Holiday - Top 3 Pros and Cons - ProCon.org South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. American election laws have been reformed before with minimal impact on voter turnout which remains low compared to other democracies around the world. Currently, 22 countries around the world have mandatory voting, and ten of those countries enforce the policy, including Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Peru, and Switzerland. Congress would shore up the peoples right to vote while guaranteeing the time to engage in this fundamental right. ", ProCon.org. This page was last edited on 1 February 2023, at 18:43. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. Mr. CHRISTENSEN: One of the biggest countries that uses compulsory voting is Australia. Some countries use electronic voting machines, such as India, while others rely on paper ballots, such as Zimbabwe. Sweden came second with 82.6%. 5 Reasons Election Day Should Be a National Holiday - Global Citizen The U.S. ranks 26th out of 32 for voter among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. Would turnout go up if we didn't have to vote on a workday? Is Election Day a Federal Holiday? - NBC Chicago [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. #FridayNight | #FridayNight | By Citizen TV Kenya - Facebook of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents and 59% of Republicans and GOP leaners said they would support making Election Day a national holiday. 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. Russia's national holiday only goes back to 1992, when the Russian Federation was founded.