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. "We should be making it easier for people to vote, not harder. Theyare still considerably higher than in the United States, which typically sees about 65% on average turn out to vote for major elections. [4][5], The United States currently has 10 national holidays, including Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Christmas Day. It is the day when popular ballots are held to select public officials. Election Day is the day for general elections of public officials in the U.S. Election day is a national holiday. Reformers will be far more successful adding a few days or options or opportunities than trying to undo Election Day.. Here is the relevant passage from Acts 28: 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. Incidentally, Australia routinely reaches more than 90. Early voting for the midterms varies by state. "Voting is a fundamental right,. The ideal solution is simple: Congress should make Election Day a national holiday, or move Election Day to the weekend. Currently, 22 countries around the world have mandatory voting, and ten of those countries enforce the policy, including Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Peru, and Switzerland. Many other democracies make election day a holiday and they all have higher voter turnout than we do. Election Day is a state holiday in Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York. Mr. CHRISTENSEN: One of the biggest countries that uses compulsory voting is Australia. According to Pew Research data, US voter turnout trails most developed countries. Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters. Countries outpacing the U.S. include the U.K, Mexico and Canada. For other uses, see. This map, inspired by a Reddit thread with a similar map, shows the national days of the world's countries. Unlike Singapore, South Korea and Israel, Canada has not declared election days as public holidays. I'll look into this some more and may change it on the map. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Exact date set by the. Modern life operates around the clock. Updates? In Switzerland, only one canton (or member state) requires voting; it is voluntary all other cantons of the country. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. Read More, Election Day is a holiday in Puerto Rico. Sign up for notifications from Insider! This is partially due to the influence of Protestantism, which historically set restrictions on activities other than church-going during the Sabbath (usually considered as falling on a Sunday). Saudi Arabia's marks the 1932 unification of the country. Making Election Day a holiday would not necessarily involve adding a new holiday, which employers might resistparticularly following the addition of Juneteenth as a national holiday last week. Why or why not? These include national, state, and local government representatives at all levels up to the president. 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. 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. ], ProCon.org, "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons,", ProCon.org, "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons. a list of voting rights provisions he would support. In many other democracies around the world, national elections are held on the weekend or are a federal holiday. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? By Monday morning, nearly 60 million had already voted early across the country, closing in on half of 2016's total voter turnout. ", Others, however, are skeptical that creating a national holiday would increase voter turnout. Senator Bernie Sanders has certainly tried heintroducedthe "Democracy Day Act" in 2018, which proposed making Election Day a federal holiday. That too is a reminder as to how new many of the ideas from that century, such as full enfranchisement and national self-determination, really are. Part of HuffPost Home & Living. Here are five reasons why Election Day should be a national holiday. 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. Concentrating voters into a single day risks congesting polling places, even more so than some already are. Because the impact of a federal holiday is far-reaching, many states and workplaces would likely follow suit. 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. - Zkon o podmienkach vkonu volebnh", "The Effectiveness of Early Voting A Case Study of the Republic of Korea", "Ley Orgnica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Rgimen Electoral General", "Elections in Venezuela and Pennsylvania: Lessons in Democracy? Take, for example, Bhutan, which every celebrates the anniversary of Ugyen Wangchuck's 1907 election as the nation's first hereditary king (yes, you read that correctly), but not its 1949 independence. 3) Britain and Denmark have no national days. [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. And even a number of the blue countries, such as Australia and Canada, are actually the product of colonialism. The result is voter turnout rates of 72.3% and 77.2% respectively, which is 26-32% higher than the United States. In fact, in Estonia, the option tovoteonlineis becoming increasingly popular. US voter turnout trails most developed countries. We are the only advanced democracy that makes it deliberately difficult for people to vote. So the question of how you label Ireland goes back to which holiday you consider its national day. "And we actually have more options than ever before.". Runoffs take place on the last Sunday of the same October. Ralph Northam signed into law a measure that, among other things, makes Election Day a state holiday in the commonwealth. Argentina has instated compulsory voting laws, but only sees about 76% voter turnout. With those options early in-person voting and more voter awareness on how to vote by mail voter turnout appears to be trending upward. As a holiday, that means several millions of people would have the day off from work or school, making it way . 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. List two to three ways. Updated: 7:01 AM EST November 2, 2020 ATLANTA For many Americans, voting on Election Day is a tradition, and some wonder why it's not a national holiday. Making the presidential election a national holiday is another way to get people to the polls. Whether election day should be made a national holiday is debated. 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. [31]. Rather, federal elections are held on the third Monday of October, every four years . 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. 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. 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. Election Day is observed on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, taking place on November 7 this year. This . And so while it's very understandable that people are trying to find ways to make it more convenient for people to vote, it's very likely that Election Day as a national holiday would actually hurt the voters who most need more options," Becker said. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. [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. The correct answer is B. Advertisement Advertisement marberman marberman 3. However, making National Election Day a holiday will disadvantage low-income and blue . 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. [ 18][ 19] Con 1 These efforts challenge fundamental values of American democracy and constitute a serious threat to the one person, one vote principle. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. Skip Navigation Start the discussion over on our Facebook page, and let us know about civic engagement in your town, state, or country! It would give people time to vote. But some think it should be. However, the issues vary among different demographic groups. South Africa's is from the first democratic elections, in 1994. Think about it. 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. These changes would send a strong rebuke to those who are attempting to scale back voting rights and make it more difficult for African-Americans and Latinos to vote. 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. Will the party listen to them on the issues? 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.