Hailey said the country needs a "cultural shift" to prioritize voting. 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. For example, in Ecuador, only literate citizens between 18 and 65 are required to vote; those over 65 or who are not literateare not required. Election Day is a state holiday in Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York. President Obama likes the idea of changing the way or the day Americans vote. 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 . Australia sees around 91%, and 94% in Singapore. First Sunday of July until 2018. 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. For rest of the festival holidays the declaration . We are the only advanced democracy that makes it deliberately difficult for people to vote. In Sweden, for example, 83% of registered voters participated in the 2014 national . For starters, the United States is rather unique in that it schedules its election day on a weekday, let alone a Tuesday. 27 September (Wednesday): Day of the French-speaking Community - commemorates the victory of the patriots against the Dutch army in Brussels in 1830. Other countries take heroic efforts to ensure that people can vote if they desire. Election Day is observed on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, taking place on November 7 this year. "Voting is a fundamental right,. Some countries, about 27 of them, make voting compulsory. Virginia joined these states in April this year. In-person polls open Sunday at 12:01am, close Saturday at 11:59pm. 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. But none of those states have considerably high turnout compared to those where it isn't a holiday. [18][19], Federal law doesnt require private employers to give employees paid federal holidays. Voter turnout in the United States is usually considered low, especially in years without a presidential election. 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). February 26, 2023, 5:06 AM. Research has found that higher trust in the government and democratic process leads to greater voter turnout. "While this would not be a cure-all, it would indicate a national commitment to create a more vibrant democracy.". Countries that have weekend or holiday elections do tend to have better turnout overall. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? November 7, 2023. An ordinary act of Congress could move Election Day to a Saturday or make it a holiday, thereby giving more people more . 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. South Africa's is from the first democratic elections, in 1994. Sign up to receive a weekly email update on forthcoming public holidays around the world in your inbox every Sunday. Passing voting rights reform will be a crucial component of this response, as would making Election Day a national holiday. First Sunday of October. Fourth Sunday of October immediately before the end of the current mandates. 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. "And we actually have more options than ever before.". 3. Skip Navigation In 2018, a Pewstudy found that 65% of Americans favored making Election Day a national holiday. We are very proud that we are mentioned in the Bible. ", ProCon.org. But while . Again, it is not clear that this is demonstrably true but it is a widespread perception. Tuesday is Election Day, but only in some parts of the country will voters get the day off to cast their ballots. 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,". 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. A simple but effective change, however, could be made in election timing. Russia's national holiday only goes back to 1992, when the Russian Federation was founded. The U.S. lags scores of other countries in election participation, ranking 26th out of 32 nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), according to the Pew. 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. Accessed February 21, 2023. https://www.procon.org/headlines/election-day-national-holiday-top-3-pros-and-cons/, potential benefits and difficulties of changing election day, election day should not be a national holiday. Other countries may only require it of certain people, and otherwise make it voluntary for others. High turnout means that people are successfully exercising their rights-a good in itselfbut it also ensures the continuing health of majority rule. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 By law, polling day is a public holiday if it falls on a weekday. Traditionally elections are held over two days, starting on a Friday afternoon and ending the following Saturday afternoon. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. If so, how? Election Day is already a holiday for state employees in more than a dozen states including Kentucky, Michigan, and New York. Most recently, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont proposed a bill to designate "Democracy Day" as a national election holiday, which sits before a special committee. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Here are five reasons why Election Day should be a national holiday. 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. Additionally, many of these individuals rely on school days as childcare for their children. American election laws have been reformed before with minimal impact on voter turnout which remains low compared to other democracies around the world. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. This article was published more than10 years ago. John M. Cunningham, "Why Are U.S. 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. That's true, although the separate "National Day of Commemoration" occurs on the anniversary of the truce ending the Irish war of independence. In 2007, the country held the world's first general Internet election. 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. At the top of his list: making Election Day a national holiday. Examine this opinion article from Evil HR Lady Suzanne Lucas on why election day should not be a national holiday. Litigation pending before the Supreme Court this term in Brnovich v. DNC, however, threatens to undermine this rule. 3. Opponents say kids arent mature enough to vote. Rose Marcario, CEO, stated, demonstrating your companys commitment to voting will reinforce how essential it is that every eligible voter shows up. Consider the potential benefits and difficulties of changing election day. The earliest possible date that Election Day can fall on is November 2nd, and the latest possible date is November 8th. Corrections? Essential reporting and analysis from correspondents around the world. There is no fixed election day for general elections, although since 1986 every general election has been held on Sunday. And. However, some countries, or regions within a country, which hold elections on a weekday declare election day a public holiday. Four more states only provide time off for biennial, even-year elections: Delaware, Louisiana, Michigan and New Hampshire. These include national, state, and local government representatives at all levels up to the president. And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who don't to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. In 2018, the general election was held on Wednesday. It is the day when popular ballots are held to select public officials. Countries outpacing the U.S. include the U.K, Mexico and Canada. This article is about the general term "election day" worldwide. 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. [36]. They stated, Citizen Day would do more than give our democracy the honor that it deserves; it would help our democracy work better. But it is not a federal holiday. It is set by statute as "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November.". Others have suggested making Veterans Day (Nov. 11), which is already a paid national holiday, Election Day. The pros and cons of the felon voting debate include arguments about the social contract, voting while in prison, and paying debts. Should the United States use the Electoral College in presidential elections? Lists national days around the world by country or date. 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. The Freedom to Vote Act would make Election Day a national holiday for federal elections, meaning non-essential federal employees would get a paid day off. Many other democracies make election day a holiday and they all have higher voter turnout than we do. OK, so why Tuesday? Omissions? [8], Among registered voters in the 2016 US presidential election, being too busy or having a conflicting schedule was the third-highest reason cited for not voting, accounting for 14% of registered voters who did not cast a vote (about 2.7 million people). US voter turnout trails most developed countries. 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. 4. 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. TOP QUESTION However, those numbers may be attributed to a combination of factors not solely because their elections occur on non-work days. In fact, these voters may be more likely to have to work as a result of a federal election holiday, where they may have had time off previously on a random Tuesday in November. It worked. 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. So far this year, hundreds of bills have been introduced that could have the effect of suppressing peoples right to vote. 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. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. 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. 3) Britain and Denmark have no national days. The Freedom to Vote Act would make Election Day a national holiday. The COVID-19 pandemic convinced. Early voting for the midterms varies by state. 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. Explain your answers. This is the day we cast ballots to select public officials from local to the national government. Runoffs take place on the last Sunday of the same October. Disclaimer: Dates and Events correct at time of printing but may change without our knowledge. 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. Such a change would mostly benefit white-collar workers instead of the lower-income workers its designed to help. It would give people time to vote. Vanita Gupta, CEO of the Leadership Conference on Human and Civil Rights, is working to increase voter participation and decrease voter disenfranchisement.

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