countries where election day is a national holiday

But while experts say such a scheme is unlikely to fly in the US, making it easier for people to vote would appear to be a step in the right direction. Sign up to receive a weekly email update on forthcoming public holidays around the world in your inbox every Sunday. Because the impact of a federal holiday is far-reaching, many states and workplaces would likely follow suit. 2. Rather than make it a national holiday where inevitably people will still have to work, change election day to election week. of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents and 59% of Republicans and GOP leaners said they would support making Election Day a national holiday. This article is about the general term "election day" worldwide. 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. Others have suggested making Veterans Day (Nov. 11), which is already a paid national holiday, Election Day. [17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. We also know that countries that have marked their election days as federal events see higher voting turnouts than the United States. 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 previous elections, that percentage was even higher. 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. Sunday: first Sunday of February for the President, Vice-President, and Legislative Assembly; second Sunday of February for municipal elections. The name change required at least 50% voter participation, and opponents to the name change advocated not voting at all rather than voting against the measure. All 435 representatives were up for re-election, as well as a third ofsenators, and countless elections for governors, mayors, state legislators, and local government across the country. Election day is a national holiday. 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. Image 2. The outliers are a tiny minority, and only two countries have no formal national day at all. [28][29], Patagonia, an outdoor clothing retailer, paused operation on Nov. 6, 2018 so that all employees could vote. Issues also arise when a persons polling place is far from their workplace or when there are long lines to vote during peak times like in the morning before work or in the evening after work. Some countries, about 27 of them, make voting compulsory. Many other democracies make election day a holiday and they all have higher voter turnout than we do. Making the presidential election a national holiday is another way to get people to the polls. Younger generations are also more likely to participate in political discussions online, which shows that a move towards digitizing the political and voting processes may not be too far off. Sign up for notifications from Insider! They stated, Citizen Day would do more than give our democracy the honor that it deserves; it would help our democracy work better. In 2018, a Pewstudy found that 65% of Americans favored making Election Day a national holiday. As a holiday, that means several millions of people would have the day off from work or school, making it way . 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. By comparison, Belgium reported the highest OECD voter turnout: 87.2% in the most recent national election. Read more: You can take time off from work to vote in 30 states here's the full list. 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." What we're proposing isn't that every Election Day becomes a national holiday, just the presidential election, which only takes place once every four years. Not all of these marked the end of colonialism (for example, Austria's signifies the withdrawal of foreign militaries after World War II and the declaration of neutrality) but the vast majority do. Corrections? In 2007, the country held the world's first general Internet election. Could that ever happen in the U.S.? 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. 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. 2. However, rules, dates and deadlines vary by state, which can be confusing to some voters. [25], According to the AFL-CIO, 30 states require employers to allow employees time off for voting. [9], Former Editor-in-Chief of the Northwestern University Law Review, Beau C. Tremitiere, JD, stated, The demands of school and work schedules keep millions of Americans, especially those with children or long commutes, from ever getting to their polling stations The ideal solution is simple: Congress should make Election Day a national holiday, or move Election Day to the weekend. [10] A holiday would allow more citizens volunteer at polling places or drive the elderly to vote, and make a difference in states where long lines at the polls keep voters waiting for hours. The pros and cons of the felon voting debate include arguments about the social contract, voting while in prison, and paying debts. Senator Bernie Sanders has certainly tried heintroducedthe "Democracy Day Act" in 2018, which proposed making Election Day a federal holiday. [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. For more information on how to vote, head over to our TurboVote module. Elections to the European Parliament take place over a period of four days (i.e., Thursday through to Sunday), according to the election days of the EU members states (as listed above). 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. First Sunday of October. A Pew Research Center analysis finds that 27 of the 36 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development hold their national elections on the weekend, . 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those . It happens to be on the day the politicians themselves get elected. Countries outpacing the U.S. include the U.K, Mexico and Canada. 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. Sometimes, specific ballot measures can influence voter turnout: in the UK, the Brexit vote resulted in a 72% turnout, slightly higher than the average of 69%. 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. CBS News reporter covering climate change and energy. By Monday morning, nearly 60 million had already voted early across the country, closing in on half of 2016's total voter turnout. [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. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider "I'm not a fan," said Eddie Perez, an election administration and election technology expert at the Open Source Election Technology (OSET) Institute. In the 2016 presidential election, 14% of registered voters cited being too busy or having a conflicting schedule as the main reason they didnt cast their ballots, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data. Countries like Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Mexico also showed high voter turnout rates by having holidays. There is a simple and straightforward solution: make Election Day a national holiday so that people have the time and freedom to vote without taking time off from work. 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. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons." Sweden came second with 82.6%. [31] Same-day registration boosts turnout by 5%, and universal implementation of it would have added as many as 4.8 million voters in the 2016 election, according to Danielle Root, JD, and Liz Kennedy, JD, from the Center for American Progress. Part of HuffPost Home & Living. But they never go far and die in committee without a vote. 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. "While this would not be a cure-all, it would indicate a national commitment to create a more vibrant democracy.". 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? Again, it is not clear that this is demonstrably true but it is a widespread perception. Managing Editor Currently, 22 countries around the world have mandatory voting, and ten of those countries enforce the policy, including Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Peru, and Switzerland. Here is the relevant passage from Acts 28: Fourth Sunday of October immediately before the end of the current mandates. American election laws have been reformed before with minimal impact on voter turnout which remains low compared to other democracies around the world. Election Day is observed on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, taking place on November 7 this year. Elections are federal holidays in Singapore, which, when combined with mandatory voting, resulted in a voter turnout of 93.6% for the 2015 election of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. What other improvements could be made to voting and Election Day? 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. "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. [18][19], Federal law doesnt require private employers to give employees paid federal holidays. Or is it an optimistic idea that would exclude already disadvantaged voters while failing to increase turnout? Over the course of three days, Estonians could vote by placing their state-issued ID cards (which have an electronic chip . And in Australia, there is a fine. [14][35] In Australia, where voting is mandatory, elections are celebrated with parties and barbeques nationwide, resulting in turnout rates around 90%. ", Obama: "Absolutely. One major reason: It comes down to tradition, Troy said. 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. Executive director and founder of the Center for Election Innovation & Research David Becker argues that increasing turnout is a nuanced problem that can't be fixed by declaring a holiday. Election Day is not a national holiday in 2022, but some states require employees get paid time off to vote. Most National Days are fixed, exceptions to this are shown below. For other uses, see. Traditionally on weekends. It is very, very hard to change core American traditions.. 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. Should the United States Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections? Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. 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. procon@eb.com, 2022 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Other countries may only require it of certain people, and otherwise make it voluntary for others. ", "An overall look at Vietnam's election law", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Election_day&oldid=1136894393. Additionally, many of these individuals rely on school days as childcare for their children. 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). The U.S. ranks 26th out of 32 for voter among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. 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. And there is no better way to secure democracy than to ensure that everyone has not only the right to vote, but also the meaningful opportunity to cast their ballots. There is no fixed election day for general elections, although since 1986 every general election has been held on Sunday. 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. So when faced with choices like having to take unpaid time off work to vote, waking at the wee hours of the morning to vote so that they're not late to work, standing in hours-long lines with everyone else who waited until after the workday to cast their ballot, or simply not voting at all, many choose the latter. 0:00. Whether election day in the United States should be made a national holiday is debated. 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. Argentina has instated compulsory voting laws, but only sees about 76% voter turnout. As old as all of these societies are, their senses of national identity are commemorated by remarkably recent events. Examine this opinion article from Evil HR Lady Suzanne Lucas on why election day should not be a national holiday. 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 designate election day a national holiday. The earliest possible date that Election Day can fall on is November 2nd, and the latest possible date is November 8th. Passing voting rights reform will be a crucial component of this response, as would making Election Day a national holiday. [1], An election day usually culminates in an election night when the results of the election are tallied and winners are announced.[2]. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. I think, to the best of my knowledge, it's something like $20. Whether accurate or not, elected officials likely think that making it easier to vote would advantage one party traditionally it is believed to help the Democrats at the expense of the other party, the GOP, said Vincent Hutchings, a University of Michigan political science professor. Incidentally, Australia routinely reaches more than 90. ", ProCon.org. Should election day be made a national holiday? South Africa's is from the first democratic elections, in 1994. Instead, lawmakers could simply move nearby Veterans Day to Election Day, emphasizing that voting is both a service to the country and a celebration of the rights and freedoms for which our servicemembers fight. [31]. Opponents say kids arent mature enough to vote. ", Others, however, are skeptical that creating a national holiday would increase voter turnout. 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. 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. Office Holidays provides calendars with dates and information on public holidays and bank holidays in key countries around the world. Most National Days are fixed, exceptions to this are shown below. "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. In the United States, it varies from state to state and even county to county, so the idea that one entire country might use the same voting method is actually pretty unique to Americans! Elections are federal holidays in Singapore, which, when combined with mandatory voting, resulted in a voter turnout of 93.6% for the 2015 election of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. by country by date 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. 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. Some countries, including Belgium and Turkey, see such high voter turnout mainly because of their compulsory voting laws. 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. While some states have made Election Day a civic holiday (though it primarily applies to public workers) and most have laws that require companies to give employees some time off to vote, none of the legislative efforts to enact these changes on a national level have been successful. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. [ 17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. "Election Day should be a national holiday so that everyone has the time and opportunity to vote," Sanders' website reads. Holidays, law.cornell.edu (accessed Sep. 30, 2019), Matthew Haag, "Mitch McConnell Calls Push to Make Election Day a Holiday a Democratic Power Grab," nytimes.com, Jan. 31, 2019, Drew DeSilver, "U.S. Trails Most Developed Countries in Voter Turnout, pewresearch.org, May 21, 2018, Gustavo Lpez and Antonio Flores, "Dislike of Candidates or Campaign Issues Was Most Common Reason for Not Voting in 2016, pewresearch.org, June 1, 2017, Beau C. Tremitiere, "Election Day Should Be a National Holiday, cnbc.com, July 5, 2016, York Dispatch Editorial Board, "Editorial: On Voting, GOP Takes a Holiday from its Senses, yorkdispatch.com, Feb. 1, 2019, Tacey Rychter, "How Compulsory Voting Works: Australians Explain," nytimes.com, Nov. 5, 2018, Archon Fung and Jane Mansbridge, "Lets Vote, Party and Celebrate American Democracy on a New Holiday Called Citizen Day, usatoday.com, Oct. 26, 2018, Thomas MacMillan, "This Might Be the Best Idea for Turning out More Voters in U.S. Elections, nymag.com, July 8, 2017, Drew Desilver, "Weekday Elections Set the U.S. apart from Many Other Advanced Democracies, pewresearch.org, Nov. 6, 2018, Kathy Frankovic, "St. Patricks Day Not So Popular - Americans Would Rather Election Day a Holiday, today.yougov.com, Mar. The U.S. is one of only nine member nations that have weekday voting. Georgia grassroots groups helped Biden win. 5. 1, which adds a new paid holiday for federal employees every other year. Countries like France, Germany, and India all recognize Election Day as a national holiday or hold elections on the weekend in order to increase voter turnout. If so, how? Voters in more than one-third of the country enjoy some form of an Election Day holiday, according to RepresentUs. 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 .

Rick K And The Allnighters Band Members, Khan Academy Transformations Of Quadratic Functions, Peter Griffin Afk Job Solo, Fairlife Nutrition Plan Vs Core Power, Best Snow Foam Cannon, Articles C