However, it gives voters the choice of not having to detour from their routines on Election Day. A part-time hourly worker is more likely to have multiple jobs, none of which are likely to offer time off. You have permission to edit this article. Explore which countries have weekend voting with Pew Research. Election Day Holiday.. Citizens have a right to vote. The question remains: is such a holiday good public policy? Cons: Private employers are not required to give their employees federal holidays anyways. It deals with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and laws. This would actually make it even easier and validate businesses to give their employees the day off so that they can work the elections and serve as election workers. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. Carlson calls on Minnesotans to oppose sulfide mining, Local View: The stories of spring, other seasons, play out in the night sky, In Response: Expensive or not, Minnesota a good place to do business, The beginning of the rest of their lives: Powwow recognizes Fond du Lac graduates and more, Lake Superior Medical Equipment relocates to West Duluth after fire, Minnesota DNR, feds sign agreement over logging in wildlife areas, Special Olympics return to Northland after 3 years. The proposal to make Election Day a federal holiday is just one of a number of steps that could be taken to improve low turnout for U.S. elections. One major reason: It comes down to tradition, Troy said. However, rules, dates and deadlines vary by state, which can be confusing to some voters. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Election Day 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. But making Election Day a holiday because you want to increase voter turnout? Instead of having the names spelled out, voters would pick between Oje Diben and Noladd Rumpt.. That puts us behind countries like Australia, Belgium, and Luxembourg, which all have higher participation rates than the United States. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. While there are a lot of positives to creating a new national holiday, there are also some negatives. Scan this QR code to download the app now. Russia, Turkey, Iran, Syria Meet In Moscow: Whats Afoot? Could that ever happen in the U.S.? Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Mexico receive high voter turnout due to universal voting and time off. Should Election Day Be a Holiday? - Morningside Center Election Day be a National Holiday in the U.S [28][29], Patagonia, an outdoor clothing retailer, paused operation on Nov. 6, 2018 so that all employees could vote. 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.. If Election Day were a national holiday, how would you ensure hourly and low-income workers would get a chance to vote? Pro and Con: Election Day Holiday | Britannica Overall, White adults are less likely to favor making Election Day a national holiday and automatically registering all eligible citizens to vote than are Black, Hispanic Virginia Gov. Count me out. All rights reserved. Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? However, making National Election Day a holiday will disadvantage low-income and blue-collar workers. Even some Democrats are saying that it could have unintended consequences. Lets get early in-person voting in place in Michigan, so that everyone has an opportunity that fits their schedule. The measure contains an election-reform bushelful of liberal chestnuts same-day voter registration, provisional ballots, poll worker recruitment and training. 20, 2018, Annie McDonald, "Ensuring Access to Election Day for All, bppj.berkely.edu, Nov. 6, 2018, Suzanne Lucas, "No, Election Day Should Not Be a Federal Holiday, inc.com, Oct. 24, 2016, Kenneth Quinnell, "Know Your Rights: State Laws on Employee Time off to Vote, aflicio.org, Nov. 5, 2016, Osita Nwanevu, "Maybe Making Election Day a National Holiday Wouldnt Really Work, slate.com, Nov. 3, 2016, Abigail Hess, "A Record 44% of US Employers Will Give Their Workers Paid Time off to Vote This Year, cnbc.com, Oct. 31, 2018, Make Time to Vote, homepage, maketimetovote.org (accessed Sep. 24, 2019), Rose Marcario, "Time to Vote, patagonia.com, Sep. 24, 2018, Danielle Root and Liz Kennedy, "Increasing Voter Participation in America, americanprogress.org, July 11, 2018, Kelly Born, "Increasing Voter Turnout: What, If Anything, Can Be Done?, ssir.org, Apr. 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. The ideal ballot would have the candidates in one alphabetical list on one side, and the offices they seek on the other. Lets look at why Congress has never made Election Day a WebElection Day becoming a federal holiday will elevate voting to a democratic holiday. "We do not have real political democracy, let alone economic democracy. While many countries hold national elections on holidays, Americans are at liberty to stay at home. Managing Editor Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. Benson also emphasized the preeminence that she says Election Day should have in our culture, that it should be a day of celebration of our civic duty to elect our leaders a celebration of democracy at a time when democracy is under real threat. But thats not guarantor of a higher turnout. Changing the laws and individual policies would be more effective ways to help people vote. [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. Incidentally, Australia routinely reaches more than 90 percent voter turnout, compared to the United States, where average voter turnout in presidential elections since 1965 has been only 54%. In California, for example, theres now permanent voting by mail(voters can also go on line, after theyve submitted their ballot, to see if theyve been processed). Federal law doesnt require private employers to give employees paid holidays. 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. (Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg). Proponents of automatic voter registration say the policy removes barriers to registration for eligible voters, a step toward increasing voter participation. ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 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. Or is it an optimistic idea that would exclude already disadvantaged voters while failing to increase turnout? And even if elections arent routine in the age of Donald Trump, its a nice option to have. 3. I invite you to follow me onTwitter:@hooverwhalen, This is a BETA experience. If that level of participation gnaws at you, then consider: turnout for UKs Brexit vote was a shade over 77%; while 67.9% of the French electorate turned out for 2017s presidential election. Should the United States Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections? High turnout means that people are successfully exercising their rights-a good in itselfbut it also ensures the continuing health of majority rule. May improve popularity of a candidate. If Election Day is a national holiday, would that mean the post office would be closed, she asked. [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. Approximately two million people who work for the federal government would be given a paid day off, and private companies might follow suit. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? ProCon.org. Consider the potential benefits and difficulties of changing election day. Adding in a new national holiday isnt necessarily without [10][11]] 1. Thats not to say no one has tried. @TinaLBarton gave me some good insight that caused me to reconsider my bill that would have done just that. Should Election Day be a national holiday? Everyone will get equal opportunity to vote. Bernie Sanders attempted to pass an Election Day holiday under the "Democracy Day Act" in 2018. WebElection Campaign Cons. This Material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form. I believe Election Day should be a holiday so we can get our maximum participation, says Jacobs. a list of voting rights provisions he would support, Congress in 2019: The need for bipartisan action on voting rights and election integrity, Voting rights, the next Attorney General, and a less divided America, Republicans in 48 states have introduced 389 bills, Generational change divides GOP, unites Democrats. We get about 20-25% of our absentee ballots come in on Election Day, says Barton. Passing voting rights reform will be a crucial component of this response, as would making Election Day a national holiday. 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. Whether that be through the mail, or people drop them off in person. 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. Proponents say the Electoral College ensures everyone selects the president. But other solutions would more reliably increase turnout. While Barton isnt for or against making Election Day a holiday, one thing she is definitely on board with is getting more people to vote. shouldnt voting be mandatory Election Day is a holiday in Puerto Rico. Yes, its true Americas voting age is lower than some other developed countries. Not me. So, since this effort does not receive bipartisan support, it is difficult to enact.. Colleges should have already canceled Election Day classes. https://www.hoover.org/profiles/bill-whalen, federal holiday. [14], Pew Research Center found that 71% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans support making Election Day a federal holiday. Heres what the Senate Majority Leader had to say about the notion earlier this week: Just what America needs, another paid holiday and a bunch of government workers being paid to go out and work for I assume . Should the U.S. Make Election Day a National Holiday? - Ask.com Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons - ProCon.org 2020, Virginia. "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons." Election Day If you make election day a federal holiday, youll have all the people who work in these types of jobs still having to work, being inundated with customers who have the day off and they wont have child care because the schools will be closed, Suzanne Lucas, who previously worked in human resources, wrote in a piece for Inc.com. And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who dont to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket.