", "An overall look at Vietnam's election law", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Election_day&oldid=1136894393. In many other democracies around the world, national elections are held on the weekend or are a federal holiday. Why or why not? Other countries may only require it of certain people, and otherwise make it voluntary for others. 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). CBS News reporter covering climate change and energy. 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. as well as other partner offers and accept our. Many Americans know that Election Day is a Tuesday, but few know why. In previous elections, that percentage was even higher. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? [1], An election day usually culminates in an election night when the results of the election are tallied and winners are announced.[2]. 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. Maybe that could give us some hint as to the frequent foreign sensitivities and accusations, right or wrong, about Western foreign policy echoing old colonial practices. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? Twenty-seven of the 36 member countries, hold their elections on the weekend. Elections Project, which is close to the complete voter . 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. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. 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. Right now, federal elections are always held on Tuesdays, because farmers in the 1840s needed multiple days to get to the . 0:00. February 26, 2023, 5:06 AM. In India, for example, a polling place is required within two kilometers (about a mile) of every single person in the country of 1.4 billion. 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. 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those countries. Estonia This tiny Baltic nation is making waves for introducing something that seems completely logical in the digital age -- online voting. "If I had my way, and I think it is really important, every . But while . [16]. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Others have suggested making Veterans Day (Nov. 11), which is already a paid national holiday, Election Day. 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. Vote.org has called on Amazon, Disney, McDonald's and others to offer paid time off for employees to vote and or work the polls. Some countries, about 27 of them,make voting compulsory. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. Russia's national holiday only goes back to 1992, when the Russian Federation was founded. 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. And it will, in turn, help strengthen the idea that businesses can and will come together for a worthy common purpose: protecting our democracy by empowering all American workers to be good citizens. [30], Solutions such as automatic voter registration, same-day registration, early voting, no-excuse absentee voting, restoring voting rights to former felons, improved civics education, and voter outreach would all improve voter participation more reliably than a national holiday. [ 18][ 19] Con 1 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. Part of HuffPost Home & Living. 3. Skip Navigation List two to three ways. Georgias voter suppression bill is an assault on our democracy, Republicans in 48 states have introduced 389 bills, Tracking regulatory changes in the Biden era. Plus, some experts say moving to weekend voting could substantially increase the cost of running elections. 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. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. [31][32] Trying one of these alternatives would avoid the negative economic impact of closing businesses for Election Day. These efforts challenge fundamental values of American democracy and constitute a serious threat to the one person, one vote principle. [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. Disclaimer: Dates and Events correct at time of printing but may change without our knowledge. Understanding what happened in the Chicago mayoral race. Election Day is a US State Holiday observed on several states on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every even-numbered year. As old as all of these societies are, their senses of national identity are commemorated by remarkably recent events. This article was published more than10 years ago. 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. The US ranks 26th out of 32 for voter turnout among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. Image 2. 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. Countries that have weekend or holiday elections do tend to have better turnout overall. 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. Presented by:Defense Language and National Security Education Office, 60% of the eligible voting population vast a vote, looked at a few different methods of voting. 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. https://www.britannica.com/question/Should-election-day-be-made-a-national-holiday. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a group that includes 36 countries. It happens to be on the day the politicians themselves get elected. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. Election day is a national holiday. But none of those states have considerably high turnout compared to those where it isn't a holiday. According to the country's website detailing their "digital society," online voting has soared from 1.9% in 2005 to 30.5% in 2015. 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. Some countries, about 27 of them, make voting compulsory. South Africa's is from the first democratic elections, in 1994. Here are the four things I found interesting about this once as I mapped it out: 1) Yes, most of the world was shaped by colonialism. By comparison,. As you can see, the world is mostly divided between countries that celebrate a national independence day and countries that celebrate a national unification or revolution day. Whether election day should be made a national holiday is debated. 1. [15] Israel and South Korea make national elections a holiday to avoid economic hardship for voters. An ordinary act of Congress could move Election Day to a Saturday or make it a holiday, thereby giving more people more . Furthermore, making this small shift would celebrate the purpose and sacrifice of our fighting forces. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider However, some countries, or regions within a country, which hold elections on a weekday declare election day a public holiday. [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. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 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. This year, Election . 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. 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. 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. But they never go far and die in committee without a vote. [23], Annie McDonald, Editor of the Berkeley Public Policy Journal, noted that the workers who are least likely to get paid holidays are those who already have less of a voice in the political process: Americans working in retail, hospitality, and service jobs, for example, would most likely not receive the benefit of a paid holiday to vote. Start the discussion over on our Facebook page, and let us know about civic engagement in your town, state, or country! 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. Some countries, including Belgium and Turkey, see such high voter turnout mainly because of their compulsory voting laws. 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. 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,". Currently, 22 countries around the world have mandatory voting, and ten of those countries enforce the policy, including Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Peru, and Switzerland. "We should be making it easier for people to vote, not harder. A number of bills like the Weekend Voting Act have been proposed in Congress over the years, often by Democrats. 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. 3. It is very, very hard to change core American traditions.. It can fall on or between November 2 and November 8. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. In some states where they don't have mail-in ballots, voting can take a lot of time out of the day. 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. In Australia, all citizens of age to vote are required, and if they fail to do so, they face fines. Essential reporting and analysis from correspondents around the world. [1] The decision was made taking into account farmers, a large portion of the voting constituency at the time, who would not have been able to travel to polling places in winter months or during planting or harvest times. Veterans Day typically is about one week after Election Day so this would involve little disruption in terms of job schedules and monthly routines. There is no fixed election day for general elections, although since 1986 every general election has been held on Sunday. Managing Editor But experts say improving voter turnout is a complicated issue that no single silver bullet strategy can solve. The pros and cons of the felon voting debate include arguments about the social contract, voting while in prison, and paying debts. Litigation pending before the Supreme Court this term in Brnovich v. DNC, however, threatens to undermine this rule. Election Day is the day for general elections of public officials in the U.S. In a number of states, polling places have been closed in minority neighborhoods, which has created long lines and tremendous inconvenience for affected votersinconvenience with a cost, especially for those paid hourly wages. , jimmy hoffa wife cause of death, seed stuck in tonsil,
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