Skip Navigation Corrections? Third Monday of October every four years, or after Parliament is dissolved by the. This map, inspired by a Reddit thread with a similar map, shows the national days of the world's countries. 1. That means the stock market will be open, and so will. 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.". And. Explain your answer. In an interview with President Barack Obama in 2016, Dan Corey, editor-in-chief of Rutgers University's official student newspaper, The Daily Targum, asked Obama about what could be done to reverse the US's low voter turnout: The Daily Targum: "You have pointed out many times that voter turnout in the United States is very low, especially compared to other developed nations. Start the discussion over on our Facebook page, and let us know about civic engagement in your town, state, or country! 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. The pros and cons of the felon voting debate include arguments about the social contract, voting while in prison, and paying debts. Passing voting rights reform will be a crucial component of this response, as would making Election Day 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. This page was last edited on 1 February 2023, at 18:43. For more on the debate about making election day a national holiday, visit ProCon.org. Without this simple step toward turning out as many Americans as possible to vote, any reform will be incomplete. 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). The Freedom to Vote Act would make Election Day a national holiday. 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. Election Day is observed on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, taking place on November 7 this year. Some businesses may close, but their hourly paid employees will either have to use a PTO day or not get paid.. Twenty-seven of the 36 member countries, hold their elections on the weekend. Last week his office released a list of voting rights provisions he would support. by country by date He says it's more important to spread voting out over a period of days and methods. And that election saw the second highest voter turnout in 20 years. 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. Election Day is not a national holiday in 2022, but some states require employees get paid time off to vote. As of mid-May Republicans in 48 states have introduced 389 bills that would reduce the hours polls are open; forbid people from eating or drinking while waiting in line to vote; close voter registration on Sundays, when Black churches traditionally have organized their members to register and vote; repeal no excuse absentee voting; and create a long list of other barriers to voting. Hailey said the country needs a "cultural shift" to prioritize voting. 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. Should the United States use the Electoral College in presidential elections? Read More, Election Day is a holiday in Puerto Rico. Tuesday was selected because it was the most convenient. 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. 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. 1. Before that point, states could hold their presidential elections on any day within a certain 34-day window. 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. ", ProCon.org. Office Holidays provides calendars with dates and information on public holidays and bank holidays in key countries around the world. "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. Virginia joined these states in April this year. List two to three ways. Think about it. Election Day in the United States of America is the Tuesday following the first Monday in November. of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents and 59% of Republicans and GOP leaners said they would support making Election Day a national holiday. "Election Day really definitely does need to be a holiday," she said, adding, "We need to be able to have everybody feel like they have a great stake in it.". Rose Marcario, CEO, stated, demonstrating your companys commitment to voting will reinforce how essential it is that every eligible voter shows up. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Sunday: first Sunday of February for the President, Vice-President, and Legislative Assembly; second Sunday of February for municipal elections. 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. But while . It can fall on or between November 2 and November 8. 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). "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. Other countries may only require it of certain people, and otherwise make it voluntary for others. 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. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? [6] Election Day could be made a holiday if a bill were passed by the House and Senate then signed into law by the president. In the 2016 election, only 56% of voting-age Americans cast their ballots. As for Denmark, it has a national liberation day and some people celebrate international worker's day, but neither is a public holiday. But experts say improving voter turnout is a complicated issue that no single silver bullet strategy can solve. [3] In 1800, 83% of the American labor force was agrarian, but today only 11% of total US employment is agriculture-related. 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Election Day is the day for general elections of public officials in the U.S. More people would vote if they had more time to cast their ballots Furthermore, celebrating our democracy publicly would send the message that we value each others citizenship as much as we value honoring past presidents. [13], Donald Green, PhD, Burgess Professor of Political Science at Columbia University, found that nonpartisan community parties celebrating Election Day in 2005, 2006, and 2016 increased voter participation between 2.6 percentage points and about 4 percentage points. Proponents say teens are knowledgeable enough to vote. / CBS News. 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. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. Four more states only provide time off for biennial, even-year elections: Delaware, Louisiana, Michigan and New Hampshire. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Thats not to say no one has tried. [31][32] Trying one of these alternatives would avoid the negative economic impact of closing businesses for Election Day. [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. Countries that have weekend or holiday elections do tend to have better turnout overall. Early voting for the midterms varies by state. And even a number of the blue countries, such as Australia and Canada, are actually the product of colonialism. The U.S. ranks 26th out of 32 for voter among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. And she thinks corporate America has been leading the way, pointing out several businesses, including Walmart and Coca-Cola, that have announced paid time off and other accommodations to make voting easier for employees on November 3. Some countries, including Belgium and Turkey, see such high voter turnout mainly because of their compulsory voting laws. ProCon.org. In Switzerland, only one canton (or member state) requires voting; it is voluntary all other cantons of the country. Senator Bernie Sanders has certainly tried heintroducedthe "Democracy Day Act" in 2018, which proposed making Election Day a federal holiday. A surprising map of the worlds national holidays (only two countries have no national day), Belarus sentences Nobel Peace laureate Ales Bialiatski to 10 years in jail, This is Bidens chance to press Scholz on Germanys rearmament, Why Russia and Ukraine are fighting over Bakhmut. Consider the pandemic, which has not given essential workers more time off. Election officials in various states have predicted historic levels of turnout in 2020, with a chance to reach the highest ever. 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. Research has found that higher trust in the government and democratic process leads to greater voter turnout. "I'm not a fan," said Eddie Perez, an election administration and election technology expert at the Open Source Election Technology (OSET) Institute. In 2018, the general election was held on Wednesday. Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? 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. 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 . While the Republican efforts are shrouded in their supposed desire to protect the integrity of elections, there is no evidence of significant voter fraud in recent elections, including presidential election in 2020. 2020, Virginia. History of Election Day Should election day be made a national holiday? [28][29], Patagonia, an outdoor clothing retailer, paused operation on Nov. 6, 2018 so that all employees could vote. Whether election day in the United States should be made a national holiday is debated.
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