Learn how and when to remove this template message, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, 2020 North Macedonian parliamentary election, "THE ELECTORAL CODE OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA. 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. Like Perez, Becker thinks giving voters more time and opportunity to vote is the best approach. Could that ever happen in the U.S.? Updates? In some states where they don't have mail-in ballots, voting can take a lot of time out of the day. 3. Sweden came second with 82.6%. 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). 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. [3] In 1800, 83% of the American labor force was agrarian, but today only 11% of total US employment is agriculture-related. As a holiday, that means several millions of people would have the day off from work or school, making it way . It was created in 1992,. But these days, Tuesdays are actually quite inconvenient for many Americans, particularly those who cant take time off work to cast their ballots a problem that disproportionately affects Black, Latino and lower-income voters. 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. Democracy on the ballot will the remaining election deniers succeed? 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. 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. While young people are generally less likely to vote, they are more motivated by the issue of freedom of speech than older generations. Election officials in various states have predicted historic levels of turnout in 2020, with a chance to reach the highest ever. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? And. [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. American election laws have been reformed before with minimal impact on voter turnout which remains low compared to other democracies around the world. History of Election Day [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. Whether election day should be made a national holiday is debated. Meanwhile, in Macedonia this past September, voters chose to stay away from the polls because of the proposed name change for the country. In Estonia, a national ID card (required for every citizen in the country) can be used to vote remotely. a list of voting rights provisions he would support. 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 . 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. 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. It would give people time to vote. 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. It's Time to Make Election Day a National Holiday (Once - HuffPost But Gupta said that there's been a "lack of political will" to give the initiative some momentum. 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. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The United States has held federal elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years since 1845. 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. Virginia joined these states in April this year. [2] Sundays were for rest and worship, and on Wednesdays farmers typically sold their crops at the market, making Tuesdays the best day of the week. 5 Reasons Election Day Should Be a National Holiday - Global Citizen 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. The COVID-19 pandemic convinced. 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%. COLUMN: Point Counterpoint: There are pros and cons to making Election 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. As for Denmark, it has a national liberation day and some people celebrate international worker's day, but neither is a public holiday. [ 17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. Right now, federal elections are always held on Tuesdays, because farmers in the 1840s needed multiple days to get to the . 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. 12, 2019, Ceylan Pumphrey, "Do Businesses Have to Give Federal Holidays Like Presidents Day Off?, blogs.findlaw.com, Feb. 14, 2018, Department of Labor, "Holiday Pay, dol.gov (accessed Sep. 23, 2019), Peggy Emch, "Is Holiday Pay Required by Law?, timesheets.com, 2013, Fast Casual, "Study: Why Hourly Workers Forced to Work Multiple Jobs, fastcasual.com, Apr. Usually Wednesday. 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. Why or why not? Proponents say the Electoral College ensures everyone selects the president. Election day should be a national holidayCommentary - CNBC Election Day in USA in 2023 | Office Holidays It is set by statute as "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November.". 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.. We are the only advanced democracy that makes it deliberately difficult for people to vote. Litigation pending before the Supreme Court this term in Brnovich v. DNC, however, threatens to undermine this rule. 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,". Would making Election Day a federal holiday increase voter turnout and celebrate democracy? However, for the most part, most countries vote in person at the voting booth, and while countries may alter the length of election periods andthe equipment used in voting from election to election, it still tends to have many of the same features. of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents and 59% of Republicans and GOP leaners said they would support making Election Day a national holiday. 2) Most other countries are shaped by relatively recent revolutions. But none of those states have considerably high turnout compared to those where it isn't a holiday. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. The types of workers least likely to reap the benefits of a federal holiday are those who already struggle to vote, Shineman noted. 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. Read more: The evolution of American voting rights in 242 years shows how far we've come and how far we still have to go. Senator Bernie Sanders has certainly tried heintroducedthe "Democracy Day Act" in 2018, which proposed making Election Day a federal holiday. It can fall on or between November 2 and November 8. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. Most National Days are fixed, exceptions to this are shown below. An ordinary act of Congress could move Election Day to a Saturday or make it a holiday, thereby giving more people more . "Election Day as a national holiday would mean things like perhaps reduced schedules for public transportation, schools being closed, hourly workers perhaps being incentivized to work more with time and a half.
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