[7] A handful of states have made election day a state holiday, including New York, Hawaii, Kentucky, and, in Apr. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? However, it wasnt until recently that the idea gained any traction in Congress. 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. 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. would align the US with other countries While these provisions represent major steps in the right direction, they are not enough. Pro/Con: Don't make Election Day a holiday; we don't need more 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. [14][35] In Australia, where voting is mandatory, elections are celebrated with parties and barbeques nationwide, resulting in turnout rates around 90%. In 2018, Pew Research found that 65% of voters surveyed supported Election Day being a national holiday. 2020, Virginia. Federal law doesnt require private employers to give employees paid holidays. Approximately two million people who work That, to me,is the real answer, she says. If you want to make Election Day a national holiday because you believe American workers should have more days off to hang out with their families or pound a few brewskis with their buds Im all in. National Election Day would make a 13th and it would only be observed once every four years and would help ensure voters could avoid the stresses of time constraints and other factors that hinder their ability to vote. So who benefits if the U.S. move to a system where its adults have all of Tuesday to go to polls, if they so choose? 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. Georgia had the 12th-highest turnout in the country in 2018, with 57% participation. It shouldnt all come down to just one day., Despite Olive Branch from Whitmer,GOPShowing No Interest in Cooperation in2021, A Michigan Reporters Harrowing Experience Inside Capitol DuringInsurrection, New Year Means New Democratic Majority on State SupremeCourt. 1. 20, 2018, Annie McDonald, "Ensuring Access to Election Day for All, bppj.berkely.edu, Nov. 6, 2018, Suzanne Lucas, "No, Election Day Should Not Be a Federal Holiday, inc.com, Oct. 24, 2016, Kenneth Quinnell, "Know Your Rights: State Laws on Employee Time off to Vote, aflicio.org, Nov. 5, 2016, Osita Nwanevu, "Maybe Making Election Day a National Holiday Wouldnt Really Work, slate.com, Nov. 3, 2016, Abigail Hess, "A Record 44% of US Employers Will Give Their Workers Paid Time off to Vote This Year, cnbc.com, Oct. 31, 2018, Make Time to Vote, homepage, maketimetovote.org (accessed Sep. 24, 2019), Rose Marcario, "Time to Vote, patagonia.com, Sep. 24, 2018, Danielle Root and Liz Kennedy, "Increasing Voter Participation in America, americanprogress.org, July 11, 2018, Kelly Born, "Increasing Voter Turnout: What, If Anything, Can Be Done?, ssir.org, Apr. But would such a change turn out the voters Democrats covet most? make Election Day National Election Day rolls around every four years and falls on the first Tuesday in November. 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%. If Election Day is a national holiday, would that mean the post office would be closed, she asked. ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Last week his office released a list of voting rights provisions he would support. As part of the weekly series MichMash, hosts Jake Neher Cheyna Roth talk about the cases for and against making Election Day a state holiday. 5 Reasons Election Day Should Be a National Holiday - Global Yes, its true Americas voting age is lower than some other developed countries. Say goodbye to making Election Day a federal holiday and other By comparison, Belgium reported the highest OECD voter turnout: 87.2% in the most recent national election. Should the United States Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections? For purposes of any law relating to Federal employment, the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November in 2020 and each 3. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Election Day could be made a holiday if a bill were passed by the House and Senate then signed into law by the president. For more information, please see our Other solutions would more reliably increase voter turnout than a national holiday. If you want to make Election Day a national holiday because you believe American workers should have more days off to hang out with their families or pound They stated, Citizen Day would do more than give our democracy the honor that it deserves; it would help our democracy work better. Should Every Election Day Be A Federal Holiday? - Forbes procon@eb.com, 2023 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. We want parents to vote, not get stuck. Partly cloudy skies. The ideal ballot would have the candidates in one alphabetical list on one side, and the offices they seek on the other.