pros and cons of making election day a national holiday
Creating laws in all states that let people vote before or after work would be more effective than a holiday. Waste of money. Election Day could be made a holiday if a bill were passed by the House and Senate then signed into law by the president. 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). Everyone will get equal opportunity to vote. But thats not guarantor of a higher turnout. 2. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. These efforts challenge fundamental values of American democracy and constitute a serious threat to the one person, one vote principle. Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? While there are a lot of positives to creating a new national holiday, there are also some negatives. 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. Partly cloudy skies. But they never go far and die in committee without a vote. Archived post. 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%. Last modified on April 13, 2020. Try lower-wage earners at restaurants and stores enterprises that would look to cash in if the working class got an extra day off. Bernie Sanders attempted to pass an Election Day holiday under the "Democracy Day Act" in 2018. "We do not have real political democracy, let alone economic democracy. Interestingly, 27 of the 36 countries that are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (made up largely of advanced democracies) conduct their national elections on the weekend. Proponents of automatic voter registration say the policy removes barriers to registration for eligible voters, a step toward increasing voter participation. Reformers will be far more successful adding a few days or options or opportunities than trying to undo Election Day.. If changes need to be made nationally, those changes should relate to job security and compensation. So, no, please dont make Election Day a holiday. https://www.britannica.com/story/pro-and-con-election-day-holiday. [17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. 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 So what are the odds of Election Day 2020 becoming a federal holiday (an idea Vermont Bernie Sanders was peddling back in 2015)? 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. We get about 20-25% of our absentee ballots come in on Election Day, says Barton. All rights reserved. If you make election day a federal holiday, youll have all the people who work in these types of jobs still having to work, being inundated with customers who have the day off and they wont have child care because the schools will be closed, Suzanne Lucas, who previously worked in human resources, wrote in a piece for Inc.com. With the exception of employers, who doesnt want another paid day off? 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,". However, a national primary day is a recipe for failure. Change often comes slowly, subtly. It is very, very hard to change core American traditions.. 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. 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. However, it wasnt until recently that the idea gained any traction in Congress. I feel the commenter's central thesis is that there are way more Dems in the US then Repubels. Veterans Day typically is about one week after Election Day so this would involve little disruption in terms of job schedules and monthly routines. Low 38F. [10][11]] ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons - ProCon.org Approximately two million people who work for the federal government would be given a paid day off, and private companies might follow suit. Whether the voter has to go to office or has an important meeting, they may not be able to find any excuse to miss the voting procedure if election day is declared as a national holiday. Over time, voting rights expanded from only white, male landowners age 21 and older to includewomenandpeople of color, as well as citizensage 18 and up, resulting in a dramatic increase in the voting-eligible population and a shift in voter demographics. 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 Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. But making Election Day a holiday because you want to increase voter turnout? The pros and cons of the felon voting debate include arguments about the social contract, voting while in prison, and paying debts. CON. 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. Approximately two million people who work [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. One way to judge that: prioritized legislation. By comparison, Belgium reported the highest OECD voter turnout: 87.2% in the most recent national election. [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, 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. In India, for example, a polling place is required within two kilometers (about a mile) of every single person in the country of 1.4 billion. Rationality and coherent argument are encouraged, whereas ideological flamewars are strongly discouraged. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? Is that really an improvement? Plus, some experts say moving to weekend voting could substantially increase the cost of running elections. She's also done some online freelancing and worked on documentary films. Furthermore, making this small shift would celebrate the purpose and sacrifice of our fighting forces. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. However, rules, dates and deadlines vary by state, which can be confusing to some voters. Last week his office released a list of voting rights provisions he would support. 2020, Virginia. One example: if its a holiday, kids are home from schoolmaking it much harder for parents to have time to get to the polls. In the 2016 election, only 56% of voting-age Americans cast their ballots. Proponents say teens are knowledgeable enough to vote. ], ProCon.org, "Should Election Day Be a National Holiday?,", ProCon.org, "Should Election Day Be a National Holiday? Holidays, law.cornell.edu (accessed Sep. 30, 2019), Matthew Haag, "Mitch McConnell Calls Push to Make Election Day a Holiday a Democratic Power Grab," nytimes.com, Jan. 31, 2019, Drew DeSilver, "U.S. Trails Most Developed Countries in Voter Turnout, pewresearch.org, May 21, 2018, Gustavo Lpez and Antonio Flores, "Dislike of Candidates or Campaign Issues Was Most Common Reason for Not Voting in 2016, pewresearch.org, June 1, 2017, Beau C. Tremitiere, "Election Day Should Be a National Holiday, cnbc.com, July 5, 2016, York Dispatch Editorial Board, "Editorial: On Voting, GOP Takes a Holiday from its Senses, yorkdispatch.com, Feb. 1, 2019, Tacey Rychter, "How Compulsory Voting Works: Australians Explain," nytimes.com, Nov. 5, 2018, Archon Fung and Jane Mansbridge, "Lets Vote, Party and Celebrate American Democracy on a New Holiday Called Citizen Day, usatoday.com, Oct. 26, 2018, Thomas MacMillan, "This Might Be the Best Idea for Turning out More Voters in U.S. Elections, nymag.com, July 8, 2017, Drew Desilver, "Weekday Elections Set the U.S. apart from Many Other Advanced Democracies, pewresearch.org, Nov. 6, 2018, Kathy Frankovic, "St. Patricks Day Not So Popular - Americans Would Rather Election Day a Holiday, today.yougov.com, Mar. We get about 20-25% of our absentee ballots come in on Election Today, of course, holding the election on the first Tuesday of the month is deeply inconvenient for the vast majority of Americans, whether they work in an office, in food service, or on a farm, as they did in the olden days. 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. Many Americans know that Election Day is a Tuesday, but few know why. However, I feel like this is painting with a broad stroke. Election Day holiday: The bill would make Election Day a legal public holiday, making it easier for voters to get to the polls. Its hard to say. She says thats especially important right now with more voters casting absentee ballots. 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..
