countries where election day is a national holiday

Others have suggested making Veterans Day (Nov. 11), which is already a paid national holiday, Election Day. 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. A 2018 Pew survey found that the majority of Americans (65%) would be in favor of turning Election Day into a national holiday that includes 71% of Democratic-leaning voters and 59% of Republican-leaning voters. Should election day be made a national holiday? While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Have you experienced an election day in another country, or do you know how voting works in a place we haven't mentioned here? Is Election Day a national holiday? Why you don't get the day off All rights reserved. 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. 3) Britain and Denmark have no national days. On U.S. Election Day, A Look At How Others Vote : NPR As Congress continues to grapple with voting rights legislation this week, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has used his considerable influence as the Senates key swing vote to set the terms of the debate. Especially given that 65% of Americans support making election day a national holiday and 43% of voters already live in one of the 19 states with some form of voting holiday. So, workers having a day off to vote wouldn't be a disruption to the economy, or anything a citizen of our country could deny would be worthwhile and smart thing to do. Meanwhile, in Macedonia this past September, voters chose to stay away from the polls because of the proposed name change for the country. The COVID-19 pandemic convinced. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. Election Day is not a national holiday in 2022, but some states require employees get paid time off to vote. Would turnout go up if we didn't have to vote on a workday? Consider the pandemic, which has not given essential workers more time off. So the question of how you label Ireland goes back to which holiday you consider its national day. Many other democracies make election day a holiday and they all have higher voter turnout than we do. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. [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. Today in my country it is a national holiday as we celebrate the day 2020, Virginia. Last week his office released a list of voting rights provisions he would support. It is very, very hard to change core American traditions.. Senator Bernie Sanders has certainly tried heintroducedthe "Democracy Day Act" in 2018, which proposed making Election Day a federal 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. Of these countries, 27 hold their national elections on a weekend. [25], According to the AFL-CIO, 30 states require employers to allow employees time off for voting. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. In Switzerland, only one canton (or member state) requires voting; it is voluntary all other cantons of the country. 1. https://www.britannica.com/question/Should-election-day-be-made-a-national-holiday. [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. These efforts challenge fundamental values of American democracy and constitute a serious threat to the one person, one vote principle. 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. In 2007, the country held the world's first general Internet election. The U.S. ranks 26th out of 32 for voter among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. Is Election Day a Federal Holiday? - Newsweek 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. October 26, 2020 / 10:57 AM Some countries, including Belgium and Turkey, see such high voter turnout mainly because of their compulsory voting laws. 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? Is Election Day a federal holiday? High turnout means that people are successfully exercising their rights-a good in itselfbut it also ensures the continuing health of majority rule. 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. We also know that countries that have marked their election days as federal events see higher voting turnouts than the United States. [14][35] In Australia, where voting is mandatory, elections are celebrated with parties and barbeques nationwide, resulting in turnout rates around 90%. 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. The outliers are a tiny minority, and only two countries have no formal national day at all. It is the day when popular ballots are held to select public officials. 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. And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who dont to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. Estonia This tiny Baltic nation is making waves for introducing something that seems completely logical in the digital age -- online voting. All federal elections take place the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. 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. Because the impact of a federal holiday is far-reaching, many states and workplaces would likely follow suit. Argentina has instated compulsory voting laws, but only sees about 76% voter turnout. Office Holidays provides calendars with dates and information on public holidays and bank holidays in key countries around the world. This article was published more than10 years ago. Topics Explainers Politics US Evergreen US Explainers YOU MIGHT LIKE In the 2016 election, only 56% of voting-age Americans cast their ballots. Countries that hold the ballot before Sunday are not permitted to announce results until all other countries have finished voting. [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. Obama Expresses Support For Making Election Day A National Holiday Even people youd expect to know, like politicians, have been stumped by this very question. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. Tuesday was chosen because it was most convenient for farmers traveling by horse and buggy at the time. Newsela | Should Election Day become a national holiday? 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. COLUMN: Point Counterpoint: There are pros and cons to making Election For starters, the United States is rather unique in that it schedules its election day on a weekday, let alone a Tuesday. 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. Without this simple step toward turning out as many Americans as possible to vote, any reform will be incomplete. Hailey said the country needs a "cultural shift" to prioritize voting. By comparison,. Here are the proper bibliographic citations for this page according to four style manuals (in alphabetical order): [Editor's Note: The APA citation style requires double spacing within entries. 14, 2019, BBC, "Singapore Election: Governing Party Secure Decisive Win, bbc.com, Sep. 12, 2015, Holly Jackson, "It's Time to Make Election Day a Holiday in Law and Spirit," washingtonpost.com, Oct. 22, 2018, BCP Associates, "India Elections 2019 - Declaration of Paid Holiday on Polling Day, bcpassociates.com, Apr. Portugal celebrates the 1580 death of celebrated national poet Luis de Camoes, Spain celebrates Columbus Day (yes, the holiday is a little controversial there as well, although not as much as in the U.S.), the Netherlands celebrates the queen's birthday but it still use her mother's birthday for the date and, in Greenland, the celebrate the longest day of the year. [27], Companies including Abercrombie & Fitch Co., Farmers Insurance, Kaiser Permanente, Patagonia, and Walmart have joined Make Time to Vote campaign, which encourages employers to provide paid time off, schedule no meetings on Election Day, and give information on mail-in ballots and early voting. "With the variety of challenges that election officials face, [making Election Day a holiday] is well down on the list of those things that need to be addressed," Becker said. Arizona, for example, allows employees who do not have three consecutive hours before or after work when the polls are open to take paid time off to vote at the start or end of their work days. Election Day is always the first Tuesday after November 1st. But they never go far and die in committee without a vote. 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. I am from Malta - a tiny EU island nation and today we celebrate the shipwreck of St. Paul on our island. Start the discussion over on our Facebook page, and let us know about civic engagement in your town, state, or country! Election day should be a national holidayCommentary - CNBC It is very, very hard to change core American traditions which Americans see not only as propping up their democracy but perpetuating its legitimacy, he said. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Is Election Day a Federal Holiday? - NBC Chicago Like Perez, Becker thinks giving voters more time and opportunity to vote is the best approach. ], [Editors Note: The MLA citation style requires double spacing within entries. For example, in Ecuador, only literate citizens between 18 and 65 are required to vote; those over 65 or who are not literateare not required. 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.. / CBS News. The United States has held federal elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years since 1845. There's nothing that would stop voters here from treating a Democracy Day like just another day off.". Puerto Rico's voter turnout has gone as high as 80 . Countries outpacing the U.S. include the U.K, Mexico and Canada. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). [18][19], Federal law doesnt require private employers to give employees paid federal holidays. With just about six in 10 voters turning out to vote in the U.S., some civil rights advocates are arguing that it's about time to give Americans the day off to vote. From 2021, the first Sunday of June. 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. Most others are not so recent, but still not so old: Taiwan's, for example, goes back to a 1911 uprising. [4][5], The United States currently has 10 national holidays, including Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Christmas Day. Over 60 court cases reviewed the evidence and judgesappointed by both Republican and Democratic presidents alikereached the same conclusion: there was no compelling evidence of fraud. Elections to the Bundestag may be held on another public holiday. Why isn't Election Day a national holiday yet? - CNN 5 Reasons Election Day Should Be a National Holiday - Global Citizen List two to three ways. "If I had my way, and I think it is really important, every . Think about that: In most of the world, the sense of national identity is shaped by the act of cutting, or in some cases violently throwing off, the chains of colonialism. Here are five reasons why Election Day should be a national holiday. 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. Skip Navigation 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. 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. 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." Fourth Sunday of October immediately before the end of the current mandates. Election results only announced for 1 of Nigeria's 36 states Should Election Day in the U.S. be a national holiday? ELECTION DAY - November 7, 2023 - National Today Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Why Election Day Isn't a National Holiday in the US - Business Insider ProCon.org. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. While young people are generally less likely to vote, they are more motivated by the issue of freedom of speech than older generations. A surprising map of the world's national holidays (only two countries About 54 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots in the 2012 presidential contest between Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney, according to the Pew Research Center. [8][15] A holiday for elections sidesteps the issue of a weekend election, which could conflict with religious obligations. Is Election Day a national holiday? Why you don't get the day off Election officials in various states have predicted historic levels of turnout in 2020, with a chance to reach the highest ever. The ideal solution is simple: Congress should make Election Day a national holiday, or move Election Day to the weekend. 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. This is why election day is not a holiday in Canada - blogTO 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. Election Day (United States) - Wikipedia Many Americans know that Election Day is a Tuesday, but few know why. Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard Maybe Making Election Day a National Holiday Wouldn't Really Work Presidential elections are held every four years, in years divisible by four, while the elections to the . But this arrangement began to raise concerns as travel and communication improved in the 19th century: Results from states that voted earlier could sway the outcome in states that voted later. Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. [31][32] Trying one of these alternatives would avoid the negative economic impact of closing businesses for Election Day. And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who don't to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. Some businesses may close, but their hourly paid employees will either have to use a PTO day or not get paid.. [6] Election Day could be made a holiday if a bill were passed by the House and Senate then signed into law by the president. To look through the stats for voter turnout for other countries, you can visit the website for the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) and explore the data. Its hard to say. This article is about the general term "election day" worldwide. 25, 2016, Chris Talgo, "Make Election Day a National Holiday? Sunday: the second Sunday of March for Congress, and the second Sunday of May for President and Vice President. Election Day isn't a national holiday in the US, but some people think it should be. 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! 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. 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. In-person polls open Sunday at 12:01am, close Saturday at 11:59pm. 1. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? Delaware Hawaii Kentucky Louisiana Montana New Jersey New York Ohio Puerto Rico Virginia West Virginia While Tuesdays have been custom for elections in the United States, Sunday is the day of. So far this year, hundreds of bills have been introduced that could have the effect of suppressing peoples right to vote. As a holiday, that means several millions of people would have the day off from work or school, making it way . In some of these countries, voting is compulsory, and in most of them, Election Day is a holiday. [14], Pew Research Center found that 71% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans support making Election Day a federal holiday. - 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? 1, which adds a new paid holiday for federal employees every other year. 27 September (Wednesday): Day of the French-speaking Community - commemorates the victory of the patriots against the Dutch army in Brussels in 1830. During the 2016 presidential election, less than 56% of the estimated voting-age population in the US voted. However, the issues vary among different demographic groups. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a group that includes 36 countries. It worked. This page was last edited on 1 February 2023, at 18:43. It's Time to Make Election Day a National Holiday (Once - HuffPost Virginia joined these states in April this year. Make election day a national holiday : r/WhitePeopleTwitter - reddit Opponents say it allows only a few states to select the president. But while . Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. [28][29], Patagonia, an outdoor clothing retailer, paused operation on Nov. 6, 2018 so that all employees could vote. 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. 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. 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those . Should Election Day Be a Holiday? - The Atlantic An additional day off school would prove to be problematic for individuals who may not have other readily accessible forms of childcare. [24], People who have already suffered significant disenfranchisement, such as women and people of color, are more likely to be working those low-income jobs that wouldnt get the time off to vote even on a national holiday. Explain your answers.

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