pros and cons of making election day a national holiday

[8][15] A holiday for elections sidesteps the issue of a weekend election, which could conflict with religious obligations. shouldnt voting be mandatory Voter suppression policies need to be reversed, starting with restoring the pre-clearance provisions of the Civil Rights Act. If 118 million people did it in 2018 without a holiday, why do we need to shut down the post office and close the banks to get them to do it again? Its hard to say. Last week his office released a list of voting rights provisions he would support. Top Issues for Voters. Promotion of new political ideas. When turnout is high, it becomes increasingly fruitless for politicians to play to their base in ways that allow a vocal minority to rule, which is how many American leaders currently operate. The nature of a public holiday is that businesses close and workers are entitled The types of workers least likely to reap the benefits of a federal holiday are those who already struggle to vote, Shineman noted. However, those numbers may be attributed to a combination of factors not solely because their elections occur on non-work days. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. To combat these efforts, lawmakers nationally have introduced HR1 (the John Lewis Act) and S1, which would enact a number of important provisions: improve ballot access, create nonpartisan redistricting commissions to reduce gerrymandering, provide automatic voter registration when people turn 18, allow at least 15 days of early voting,mandate that presidential candidates disclosure their federal tax returns, and require greater disclosure of so-called dark money campaign contributions. Move past the theatrics of the government shutdown, impeachment and the threat of investigations ad infinitumand theres the question of Democrat squad goals in a Pelosi-run House of Representatives. PRO/Con: Should Election Day be a federal holiday? Accessed April 27, 2023. https://www.procon.org/should-election-day-be-a-national-holiday/. However, I feel like this is painting with a broad stroke. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson wants to make Election Day a state holiday, but some worry about unintended consequences. Explore which countries have weekend voting with Pew Research. Citizens have a right to vote. They stated, Citizen Day would do more than give our democracy the honor that it deserves; it would help our democracy work better. Would making Election Day a federal holiday increase voter turnout and celebrate democracy? @TinaLBarton gave me some good insight that caused me to reconsider my bill that would have done just that. It would give people time to vote. Approximately two million people who work for the federal government would be given a paid day off, and private companies might follow suit. Okun's son is mentioned in this 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. 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. If a right-wing cabal really is running a secret, suppress-the-vote operation, its the most inept conspiracy since Jussie Smollett and the Subway Sandwich Scam. 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. Many other democracies make election day a holiday and they all have higher voter turnout than we do. According to the AFL-CIO, 30 states require employers to allow employees time off for voting. It does not force voters to elect any one candidate and therefore, we believe, it survives constitutional muster. Devin Gordon is a Tahlequah business owner. Should Election Day Be a National Holiday? | ProCon.org [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. Additionally, many of these individuals rely on school days as childcare for their children. More absentee voters mean there needs to be more of those ballots processed on Election Day, while other poll workers help people cast ballots in person. Georgia had the 12th-highest turnout in the country in 2018, with 57% participation. Move Voting to Veterans Day - Politico 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. 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. Others have suggested making Veterans Day (Nov. 11), which is already a paid national holiday, Election Day. Changing state laws and individual companies policies would be more effective ways to help people vote. 3. Overall, White adults are less likely to favor making Election Day a national holiday and automatically registering all eligible citizens to vote than are Black, Hispanic Election Day 2020, Virginia. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. This simple change would make it easier for See the pros and cons of declaring Election Day a holiday across the nation. So what are the odds of Election Day 2020 becoming a federal holiday (an idea Vermont Bernie Sanders was peddling back in 2015)? Allow people to register to vote AND vote on the same day. Part of HuffPost Home & Living. [24] Holidays usually mean more work hours for retail workers, because stores run promotions and sales. Should Election Day Be a National Holiday? But making Election Day a holiday because you want to increase voter turnout? Effectiveness depends on the region. Its a move that could de-politicize some of the election reform discussion, as some of the ideas could receivebipartisan support. Managing Editor What America needs isnt more voters. 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). 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). Keep in mind that in the mid-1800s, the U.S. was largely an agricultural society. Instead of having the names spelled out, voters would pick between Oje Diben and Noladd Rumpt.. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. John M. Cunningham, "Why Are U.S. Cheyna has interned with Michigan Radio and freelanced for WKAR public radio in Lansing. WDET is here to keep you informed onessential information, news and resources related to COVID-19. Colorado College recently decided to give students the day off on Nov. 3. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? If not, youre out. 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. Cookie Notice Should the United States Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections? So, no, please dont make Election Day a 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. A part-time hourly worker is more likely to have multiple jobs, none of which are likely to offer time off. Privacy Policy. Litigation pending before the Supreme Court this term in Brnovich v. DNC, however, threatens to undermine this rule. The dream of busy voting booths is the goal of House Democratic legislation to make Election Day a [+] federal 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. Under normal political circumstances, more Americans follow the race to the World Series than to the White House. A subreddit to discuss political science. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. [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. Election Day Whether that be through the mail, or people drop them off in person. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson wants to make Election Day a holiday in Michigan. Opponents say kids arent mature enough to vote. This past year, we were able to make it work through sports teams and other businesses that stepped up, gave their employees the day off, made it a holiday internally, says Benson. Election Day in the United States is the Tuesday following the first Monday in November of an election year. Not useful if people have strong opinions. On WDETs Detroit Today with Stephen Henderson, Benson emphasized that making Election Day a holiday would make it easier toattractmore election workers. If Election Day is a national holiday, would that mean the post office would be closed, she asked. Speaking on MichMash, she explainsthat one of her biggest concerns has to do with the post office. Here are five reasons why Election Day should be a national holiday. However, making National Election Day a holiday will disadvantage low-income and blue-collar workers. Many Americans are not Not me. While there are a lot of positives to creating a new national holiday, there are also some negatives. Both were senior officials in the Clinton administration. While many countries hold national elections on holidays, Americans are at liberty to stay at home. We get about 20-25% of our absentee ballots come in on Election Some businesses may close, but their hourly paid employees will either have to use a PTO day or not get paid.. Or are there other legitimate and logical reasons that may be preventing the Election Day from becoming a national holiday? Funding by lobbyists is a big problem. Nations like Israel and South Korea make election day a national holiday and have voter turnout rates of 72.3% and 77.2% respectively, which is significantly higher than that of the US. (Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg), Controversial Program Could Diminish NASAs Credibility And Its Federal Funding, Shelter From A Storm: Protecting The Housing Market From Itself. National Election Day rolls around every four years and falls on the first Tuesday in November. In many other democracies around the world, national elections are held on the weekend or are a federal holiday. 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. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? The United States currently has 10 national holidays, includingMemorial Day,Independence Day, andChristmas Day. Approximately two million people who work 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. Plus, some experts say moving to weekend voting could substantially increase the cost of running elections. OK, so why Tuesday? For more information, please see our In 1800, 83% of the American labor force was agrarian, but today only 11% of total US employment is agriculture-related. So far this year, hundreds of bills have been introduced that could have the effect of suppressing peoples right to vote. 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. CON. The idea of combining Veterans Day with National Election Day has been brought up for debate, but that doesnt make much sense. [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. [14], Pew Research Center found that 71% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans support making Election Day a federal holiday. You know what else they have? [26] Creating laws in all states that let people vote before or after work would be more effective than a national holiday, which would quickly be viewed as just another day off to enjoy. 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. 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. Although state Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) says she still supports the idea, but she says Im all-in on an all-of-the-above approach.. But thats not guarantor of a higher turnout. May improve popularity of a candidate. Make Election Day a national holiday - Brookings [16]. But they never go far and die in committee without a vote. Dont give the nation a day off, but do a better job of giving voters options for getting involved. The result is voter turnout rates of 72.3% and 77.2% respectively, which is 26-32% higher than the United States. In theory, it seems that any move that would make it easier for Americans to vote would increase participation. I invite you to follow me onTwitter:@hooverwhalen, This is a BETA experience. procon@eb.com, 2023 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 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. Lets assume there wont be an election holiday anytime soon not until Democrats control both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. In the Golden State, a majority of voters make their choices by mail rather than going to polling places on Election Day. Countries that have weekend or holiday elections do tend to have better turnout overall.

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