and our Litigation pending before the Supreme Court this term in Brnovich v. DNC, however, threatens to undermine this rule. Countries that have weekend or holiday elections do tend to have better turnout overall. Postings about current events are fine, as long as there is a political science angle. If Election Day is a national holiday, would that mean the post office would be closed, she asked. High turnout means that people are successfully exercising their rights-a good in itselfbut it also ensures the continuing health of majority rule. Reformers will be far more successful adding a few days or options or opportunities than trying to undo Election Day.. Change often comes slowly, subtly. And even if elections arent routine in the age of Donald Trump, its a nice option to have. procon@eb.com, 2023 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. [31][32] Trying one of these alternatives would avoid the negative economic impact of closing businesses for Election Day. [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). Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. Really? Not me. WebMaking election day a holiday might seem to have very few drawbacks, but because many of the people who would actually benefit from the holiday are unlikely to even be able to 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. On WDETs Detroit Today with Stephen Henderson, Benson emphasized that making Election Day a holiday would make it easier toattractmore election workers. Twelve federal holidays are recognized each year: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Washingtons Birthday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas. 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. But other solutions would more reliably increase turnout. 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. I also take umbrage with the idea that people who dont vote are doing something wrong. [18][19], Federal law doesnt require private employers to give employees paid federal holidays. If you can draw a line between Donald Trump and President, your vote counts. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. 10 . Say goodbye to making Election Day a federal holiday and other Making Election Day a national holiday will disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers. If Election Day is a national holiday, would that mean the post office would be closed, she asked. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson wants to make Election Day a state holiday, but some worry about unintended consequences. This is a stressful, insecure time for many. 25, 2016, Chris Talgo, "Make Election Day a National Holiday? The measure contains an election-reform bushelful of liberal chestnuts same-day voter registration, provisional ballots, poll worker recruitment and training. Below are the proper citations for this page according to four style manuals (in alphabetical order): the Modern Language Association Style Manual (MLA), the Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago), the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), and Kate Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Turabian). He previously reported on the Michigan Legislature for the Michigan Public Radio Network. Why Isn't Election Day A National Holiday In The United States? 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. Citizens have a right to vote. Some businesses may close, but their hourly paid employees will either have to use a PTO day or not get paid.. 2020, Virginia. (And in case youre curious, November was chosen as the month for similar reasons: It was after fall harvest was over but before the cold winter weather set in.). And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who dont to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. You know what else they have? 4. Tuesday was chosen because it was most convenient for farmers traveling by horse and buggy at the time. In 2016, there were about 245 million Americans 18 and older, according to Pew Research, and only 56% of them voted in the Donald-Trump-vs.-Hillary-Clinton throwdown. [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. The U.S. ranks 26th out of 32 for voter among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. And there is no better way to secure democracy than to ensure that everyone has not only the right to vote, but also the meaningful opportunity to cast their ballots. And if they get sick on Monday, the day before the election theyre not trying to get an emergency ballot, or something like that. Rationality and coherent argument are encouraged, whereas ideological flamewars are strongly discouraged. In California, for example, theres now permanent voting by mail(voters can also go on line, after theyve submitted their ballot, to see if theyve been processed). ], ProCon.org, "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons,", ProCon.org, "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons. Local View: Former Gov. Election Day Holiday., For purposes of any law relating to Federal employment, the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November in 2020 and each even-numbered year thereafter shall be treated in the same manner as a legal public holiday described in section 6103 of title 5, United States Code., It is the sense of Congress that private employers in the United States should give their employees a day off on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November in 2020 and each even-numbered year thereafter to enable the employees to cast votes in the elections held on that day., Leave it to a House bill-writer to use 98 words when eight will suffice: Were giving you the day off to vote.. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. 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. [28][29], Patagonia, an outdoor clothing retailer, paused operation on Nov. 6, 2018 so that all employees could vote. May improve popularity of a candidate. So what are the odds of Election Day 2020 becoming a federal holiday (an idea Vermont Bernie Sanders was peddling back in 2015)? WebPro: making election day a national holiday will increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote.
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