Try lower-wage earners at restaurants and stores enterprises that would look to cash in if the working class got an extra day off. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. It is very, very hard to change core American traditions.. And that enabled us to essentially fill our needs of staffing the elections. The United States currently has 10 national holidays, includingMemorial Day,Independence Day, andChristmas Day. Congress would shore up the peoples right to vote while guaranteeing the time to engage in this fundamental right. However, rules, dates and deadlines vary by state, which can be confusing to some voters. Ralph Northam signed a bill on Sunday making Election Day a state holiday with the intention of making it easier for voters to cast their ballots in Her ideas include requiring a statewide risk-limiting audit of an elections results before the state certification,giving clerks more time ahead of Election Day to process ballots and banning open carry of firearms within 100 feet of polling locations. People of color and low-income Americans already face barriers to vote, and making Election Day a national holiday may not help them. Mallory McMorrow (@MalloryMcMorrow) February 3, 2021. While many countries hold national elections on holidays, Americans are at liberty to stay at home. This article was published on October 1, 2020, at Britannicas ProCon.org, a nonpartisan issue-information source. Presidential Election History. Tuesday was chosen because it was most convenient for farmers traveling by horse and buggy at the time. Voter suppression policies need to be reversed, starting with restoring the pre-clearance provisions of the Civil Rights Act. Many Americans know that Election Day is a Tuesday, but few know why. In 2018, Pew Research found that 65% of voters surveyed supported Election Day being a national holiday. 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. Giving people the day to vote would be the first public holiday in the United States. Terms of Use | Online Privacy Policy, many sweeping changes she would like to see, the conspiracy fueled calls for election reform, On WDETs Detroit Today with Stephen Henderson. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? 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. But experts say improving voter turnout is a complicated issue that no single silver bullet strategy can solve. It would give people time to vote. These efforts challenge fundamental values of American democracy and constitute a serious threat to the one person, one vote principle. Some 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. 25, 2016, Chris Talgo, "Make Election Day a National Holiday? OK, so why Tuesday? Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? Rose Marcario, CEO, stated, demonstrating your companys commitment to voting will reinforce how essential it is that every eligible voter shows up. Rationality and coherent argument are encouraged, whereas ideological flamewars are strongly discouraged. Explore which countries have weekend voting with Pew Research. May improve popularity of a candidate. A subreddit to discuss political science. [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. Ralph Northam signed a bill on Sunday making Election Day a state holiday with the intention of making it easier for voters to cast their ballots in elections. 2. Colleges should have already canceled Election Day classes. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 2020, Virginia. The idea that voting should be a celebration, not a chore is one argument for turning Election Day into a national holiday. 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. Reformers will be far more successful adding a few days or options or opportunities than trying to undo Election Day.. While there are a lot of positives to creating a new national holiday, there are also some negatives. 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. Postings about current events are fine, as long as there is a political science angle. 3. Not everyone is jumping at the idea of making Election Day a state holiday, however. ProCon.org. 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. The entire voter suppression conspiracy being advanced by progressives is nonsense on its face. WebElection Day becoming a federal holiday will elevate voting to a democratic holiday. 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. Examine this opinion article from Evil HR Lady Suzanne Lucas on why election day should not be a national holiday. We get about 20-25% of our absentee ballots come in on Election It does not force voters to elect any one candidate and therefore, we believe, it survives constitutional muster. I believe Election Day should be a holiday so we can get our maximum participation, says Jacobs. What then to do about American elections? [8], Among registered voters in the 2016 US presidential election, being too busy or having a conflicting schedule was the third-highest reason cited for not voting, accounting for 14% of registered voters who did not cast a vote (about 2.7 million people). [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. Should Election Day be a national holiday? If you feel you have received this message in error, please contact the customer support team at 1-833-248-7801. Making Election Day a national holiday will disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers. The Evolution of American Voting Rights in 242 Years Shows How Far Weve Come -- and How Far We Still Have to Go, businessinsider.com, Sep. 24, 2019, University of Houston Digital History, "Agriculture, digitalhistory.uh.edu (accessed Sep. 24, 2019), USDA, "Ag and Food Sectors and the Economy, ers.usda.gov, Sep. 20, 2019, Legal Information Institute, "5 U.S. Code 6103. Governments are required to But only 35% bothered to cast un bulletin de votein the second round of Frances parliamentary election (its what comes from loading the ticket with the likes of retired matadors and mathematical savants). There is one other option: move elections to Saturdays. 11 . Politicians, most recently House Democrats in 2019, have also floated the idea of turning a weekday Election Day into a federal holiday, but to no avail. Would you have to pay all levels of election workers holiday pay, which would make administering elections more expensive? [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. If Election Day is a national holiday, would that mean the post office would be closed, she asked. However, it wasnt until recently that the idea gained any traction in Congress. We want parents to vote, not get stuck. Should Election Day Be a National Holiday? Consider this: Even if Election Day were moved to a weekend or turned into a national holiday, retail and service industry employees would still need to work. For example, one may suggest, if we observe Election Day as a national holiday, then we will be unable to adequately staff and secure polling venues, or worse; it would negatively impact government spending. there are more pros than cons with regard to observing Election Day as a federal holiday. [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. So, since this effort does not receive bipartisan support, it is difficult to enact.. All Rights Reserved. WDET is a community service of Wayne State University. Cookie Notice Bernie Sanders attempted to pass an Election Day holiday under the "Democracy Day Act" in 2018. Please enable javascript and refresh the page to continue reading local news. [15] Israel and South Korea make national elections a holiday to avoid economic hardship for voters. However, those numbers may be attributed to a combination of factors not solely because their elections occur on non-work days. Accessed April 27, 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. Democratic rights are much easier to end than they are to restore, so the federal government must respond to the wave of voter suppression overtaking the states with decisive, expansive action. America is walking the knifes edge between maintaining and losing democracy. Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard [16]. Its one of many sweeping changes she would like to see in stateelection law. North Korea. There was a Reddit comment saying that the only reason Republicans oppose Election Day being a national holiday is because it'll result in a higher turnout, which would almost completely ensure the Democrats will win for the foresable future. 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. Both were senior officials in the Clinton administration. At the heart of the debate is voter turnout give more people the day off, more people will go out of their way to head to the polls. ", ProCon.org. 1. To access extended pro and con arguments, sources, and discussion questions about whether Election Day should be a national holiday, go to ProCon.org. By registering through a routine and necessary transaction such as those at the DMV, voters wont have to worry about registration deadlines or application submissions. Trying one of these alternatives would avoid the negative economic impact of closing businesses for Election Day. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. Cons: Private employers are not required to give their employees federal holidays anyways. The three presidential elections held in the 1960s ranged from a high of 63.8% (JFK) to a low of 62.5% (Nixon). Advertisement. Or are there other legitimate and logical reasons that may be preventing the Election Day from becoming a national holiday? Copyright 2022 by WDET and Wayne State University. According to the AFL-CIO, 30 states require employers to allow employees time off for voting. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Sanctuary Cities: Top 3 Pros and Cons Kneeling during the National Anthem: Top 3 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 work days. National Election Day rolls around every four years and falls on the first Tuesday in November. People who work long shifts, juggle multiple jobs, Making Election Day a national holiday will disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers. Even people youd expect to know, like politicians, have been stumped by this very question. So its more important than ever for you, our listeners and readers, who are able todonate to keep supporting WDETs mission. 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. Poland, for example, holds elections on weekends. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson wants to make Election Day a state holiday, but some worry about unintended consequences. 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. Other countries take heroic efforts to ensure that people can vote if they desire. ], ProCon.org, "Should Election Day Be a National Holiday?,", ProCon.org, "Should Election Day Be a National Holiday? 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. This comes with complications that non-blue states might not like like allowing provisional ballots to be counted, a vote-counting that can be painfully slow (it takes California over a month to certify statewide election results). Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons - ProCon.org Virginia Gov. Other solutions would more reliably We see that you have javascript disabled. 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. Additionally, many of these individuals rely on school days as childcare for their children. It needs better voters, people who have some vague notion of what theyre voting for or against, not just people practicing identity politics or voting with their political tribe. We would put in place automatic voter registration, same-day registration, extended voting days, Election Day as a National Holiday, and other reforms, including mandatory voting (vote or pay a moderate fine) as practiced in Australia, Belgium, and much of Latin America, with a None of the Above option that would trigger a new election if it wins. And so, 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.. If changes need to be made nationally, those changes should relate to job security and compensation. Political science is the scientific study of politics. 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. Should the United States Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections? 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. 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,". 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. ProCon.org. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. Source: Matthew Haag, "Mitch McConnell Calls Push to Make Election Day a Holiday a Democratic Power Grab," nytimes.com, Jan. 31, 2019, Differences in Conservative and Liberal Brains, The Electoral College: Top 3 Pros and Cons, Coronavirus: Timeline of Comments by Trump and Biden with Context')" href="https://www.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=007115">, Election Day National Holiday: Top 3 Pros and Cons, 2008 Presidential Election (archived 1/19/09), 2012 Presidential Election (archived 1/22/13), 2016 Presidential Election (archived 1/21/17), College Football Playoffs (archived 9/18/12), Insider Trading by Congress (archived 4/18/12).