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. 3. 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. 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. And even a number of the blue countries, such as Australia and Canada, are actually the product of colonialism. [ 17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. Should the United States use the Electoral College in presidential elections? Yet, few of us, especially those who have worked on Capitol Hill, harbor . 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. John M. Cunningham, "Why Are U.S. [31]. Sweden came second with 82.6%. Usually Wednesday. South Africa's is from the first democratic elections, in 1994. Election Day is the day for general elections of public officials in the U.S. He says it's more important to spread voting out over a period of days and methods. 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those countries. ], [Editors Note: The MLA citation style requires double spacing within entries. Election Day as a holiday is something that exists in other countries, but not in most places in the U.S. It's an issue that comes up a lot, but never really gets much serious public debate. 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. Election Day isn't a national holiday in the US, but some people think it should be. Indigenous Peoples Day is a local and state holiday in some parts of the country usually held on Columbus Day that celebrates the cultures of Native Americans. Congress would shore up the peoples right to vote while guaranteeing the time to engage in this fundamental right. These efforts challenge fundamental values of American democracy and constitute a serious threat to the one person, one vote principle. [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. High turnout means that people are successfully exercising their rights-a good in itselfbut it also ensures the continuing health of majority rule. NOW WATCH: Arianna Huffingtons advice to Hillary Clinton, the majority of US states have voter leave laws, You can take time off from work to vote in 30 states here's the full list, voted during the 2016 presidential election, experts say such a scheme is unlikely to fly in the US, The evolution of American voting rights in 242 years shows how far we've come and how far we still have to go, In an interview with President Barack Obama in 2016. CBS News reporter covering climate change and energy. [33], Henry Farber, PhD, Hughes-Rogers Professor of Economics at Princeton University, conducted an analysis of states that made Election Day a holiday for state employees. The pros and cons of the felon voting debate include arguments about the social contract, voting while in prison, and paying debts. Its hard to say. 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. 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. Exact date set by the. States such as Georgia and Iowa already have passed restrictive measures and many others appear poised to do the same thing. 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 designateelection 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. It is set by statute as "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November.". 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. Until 2009, elections were held over several consecutive Sundays. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? 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. It was created in 1992,. 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. Whether election day in the United States should be made a national holiday is debated. "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.". 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. Rose Marcario, CEO, stated, demonstrating your companys commitment to voting will reinforce how essential it is that every eligible voter shows up. ABUJA, Nigeria -- Nigeria's election commission announced the first results late Sunday from the country's closely watched presidential election, but it could days . Other countries take heroic efforts to ensure that people can vote if they desire. It's amazing how much of the map is green, indicating countries that celebrate a national independence day every year. 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. 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.. Most National Days are fixed, exceptions to this are shown below. Again, it is not clear that this is demonstrably true but it is a widespread perception. For starters, the United States is rather unique in that it schedules its election day on a weekday, let alone a Tuesday. Should the United States Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections? I am from Malta - a tiny EU island nation and today we celebrate the shipwreck of St. Paul on our island. While making Election Day a national holiday or moving it to the weekend would by no means be a cure-all, it could be used in conjunction with other strategies like automatic voter registration (nearly 87% of registered voters participated in the 2016 election), restoring voting rights for formerly incarcerated people and removing other barriers such as voter ID requirements and voter roll purges that often disenfranchise people of color. Election Day in the United States of America is the Tuesday following the first Monday in November. 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. 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? Puerto Rico's voter turnout has gone as high as 80 . 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. Meanwhile, in Macedonia this past September, voters chose to stay away from the polls because of the proposed name change for the country. In the US, Election Day is not a national holiday. Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard 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. So far this year, hundreds of bills have been introduced that could have the effect of suppressing peoples right to vote. [8], In the 2016 presidential election, 55.7% of the American voting-age population cast a ballot. / CBS News. Explain your answers. But they never go far and die in committee without a vote. In the 2016 election, only 56% of voting-age Americans cast their ballots. With those options early in-person voting and more voter awareness on how to vote by mail voter turnout appears to be trending upward. a list of voting rights provisions he would support. 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. The United States is out of step with the rest of the world: elections are held on weekends in 27 of the 36 OECD countries. 1. 1, which adds a new paid holiday for federal employees every other year. 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. So, since this effort does not receive bipartisan support, it is difficult to enact.. I think, to the best of my knowledge, it's something like $20. In many other democracies around the world, national elections are held on the weekend or are a federal holiday. 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. Rather, federal elections are held on the third Monday of October, every four years . For more information on how to vote, head over to our TurboVote module. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says, Battleground Tracker: Tight race in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Lindsey Graham appears before Georgia grand jury, House Jan. 6 committee is having conversations with Justice Department, Georgia grand jury investigating Trump wants testimony from Giuliani, Graham, Trump election interference grand jury to hear from Raffensperger, DHS IG says Wolf changed intel report on Russian interference in 2020. Democratic rights are much easier to end than they are to restore, so the federal government must respond to the wave of voter suppression overtaking the states with decisive, expansive action. All this despite the fact that these types of restrictions have typically been considered illegal under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires that elections be equally open to all people. 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. Approximately two million people who work for the federal government would be given a paid day off, and private companies might follow suit. Examine this opinion article from Evil HR Lady Suzanne Lucas on why election day should not be a national holiday. But none of those states have considerably high turnout compared to those where it isn't a holiday. Tuesday was chosen because it was most convenient for farmers traveling by horse and buggy at the time. Election Day is a state holiday in Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York. Early voting for the midterms varies by state. In an interview published Thursday, President Obama endorsed the idea of holding U.S. federal elections on weekends or national holidays. Keep in mind that in the mid-1800s, the U.S. was largely an agricultural society. Because of the pandemic, more U.S. voters are exploring alternatives to voting on Election Day, such as early voting and mail-in voting. Managing Editor During the 2016 presidential election, less than 56% of the estimated voting-age population in the US voted. History of Election Day [17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. 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. "Election Day should be a national holiday so that everyone has the time and opportunity to vote," Sanders' website reads. 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. 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. Understanding what happened in the Chicago mayoral race. In 2005, the American Bar Association looked at a few different methods of voting: in 1989 in Namibia, voters marked an X on ballots using ink on their fingers; in Bulgaria, rather than marking a ballot, voters pick from any number of sheets of paper representing specific political parties and puts it in a ballot box; and in Ireland, "they designate their top three candidates by numbering them 1, 2, and 3." 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). 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. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. TOP QUESTION Vanita Gupta, CEO of the Leadership Conference on Human and Civil Rights, is working to increase voter participation and decrease voter disenfranchisement. Declaring Election Day a holiday has been proposed various times in Congress; it's a popular idea. Opponents say it allows only a few states to select the president. procon@eb.com, 2022 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 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. A lot of people go to work, or they're in school during the weekday.
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