However, it wasnt until recently that the idea gained any traction in Congress. Last modified on April 13, 2020. Making Election Day a national holiday will disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers. Okun's son is mentioned in this 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%. 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. Should Election Day Be a National Holiday? Jake Neher is senior producer for Detroit Today and host of MichMash for 101.9 WDET. Under normal political circumstances, more Americans follow the race to the World Series than to the White House. In Australia, where voting is mandatory, elections are celebrated with parties and barbecues, resulting in turnout rates around 90 percent. Should the U.S. Make Election Day a National Holiday? - Ask.com Move Voting to Veterans Day - Politico 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. Many other democracies make election day a holiday and they all have higher voter turnout than we do. It was a modern record for the Peach State. Could that ever happen in the U.S.? 2020, Virginia. So, no, please dont make Election Day a holiday. 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. 5. In many other democracies around the world, national elections are held on the weekend or are a federal holiday. Changing state laws and individual companies policies would be more effective ways to help people vote. Dont believe me? Or is it an optimistic idea that would exclude already disadvantaged voters while failing to increase turnout? In its last two presidential elections (2015 and 2010) turnout was 55% 5% less than the 2016 vote in the U.S. Switzerland also votes on weekends. Advertisement. 3. Proponents say teens are knowledgeable enough to vote. Making Election Day a national holiday will disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers. 3. Postings about current events are fine, as long as there is a political science angle. Scan this QR code to download the app now. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Freedom to Vote Act Whether accurate or not, elected officials likely think that making it easier to vote would advantage one party at the expense of the other party.. Litigation pending before the Supreme Court this term in Brnovich v. DNC, however, threatens to undermine this rule. Winds light and variable.. Election Day WebElection Day National Holiday; Electoral College; Lowering the Voting Age to 16; Voting Machines; Ronald Reagan; Bill Clinton; Election Day National Holiday: Top 3 Pros and Cons. Election Day be a National Holiday in the U.S Some countries While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Election Day as a holiday is something that exists in other countries, but not in most places inthe U.S. Its an issue that comes up a lot, but never really gets much serious public debate. 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. Low 38F. Should Every Election Day Be A Federal Holiday? - Forbes Proponents of automatic voter registration say the policy removes barriers to registration for eligible voters, a step toward increasing voter participation. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. The entire voter suppression conspiracy being advanced by progressives is nonsense on its face. WebProCon.org - Pros and Cons of Controversial Issues Kneeling during National Anthem US Presidents on Money PROS AND CONS OF CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES PROCON.ORG HEADLINES - Our Issues in the News Are DACA and the DREAM Act Good for America? This is a stressful, insecure time for many. People of color and low-income Americans already face barriers to vote, and making Election Day a national holiday may not help them. If so, how? Heres what the Senate Majority Leader had to say about the notion earlier this week: Just what America needs, another paid holiday and a bunch of government workers being paid to go out and work for I assume . 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Pew Research Center found 71 percent of Democrats and 59 percent of Republicans support that. [15] Israel and South Korea make national elections a holiday to avoid economic hardship for voters. Privacy Policy. What other improvements could be made to voting and Election Day? What then to do about American elections? But would such a change turn out the voters Democrats covet most? On WDETs Detroit Today with Stephen Henderson, Benson emphasized that making Election Day a holiday would make it easier toattractmore election workers. Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Mexico receive high voter turnout due to universal voting and time off. These changes would send the message that voting is not a privilege to be bought with job security and time to spare, but rather an essential responsibility every person ought to undertake. 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. 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). Lets get early in-person voting in place in Michigan, so that everyone has an opportunity that fits their schedule. Furthermore, making this small shift would celebrate the purpose and sacrifice of our fighting forces. Elections Held on Tuesdays?, britannica.com (accessed Sep. 30, 2019), Evan Andrews, "Election 1010: Why Do We Vote on a Tuesday in November?, history.com, Aug. 31, 2018, Grace Panetta and Olivia Reaney, "Today Is National Voter Registration Day. Changing state laws and individual companies policies would be more effective ways to help people vote. 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. WDET is a community service of Wayne State University. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. More people would vote if they had more time to cast their ballots Furthermore, celebrating our democracy publicly would send the message that we value each others citizenship as much as we value honoring past presidents. [13], Donald Green, PhD, Burgess Professor of Political Science at Columbia University, found that nonpartisan community parties celebrating Election Day in 2005, 2006, and 2016 increased voter participation between 2.6 percentage points and about 4 percentage points. 11 . Partly cloudy skies. Many states have already declared National Election Day a civic holiday, which is an occasion to commemorate America's history, celebrate our rights and responsibilities as citizens, and learn about our constitutional ideals. 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. Accessed April 27, 2023. https://www.procon.org/should-election-day-be-a-national-holiday/. And she said there are lots of other ways to do that like early, in-person voting. Adding in a new national holiday isnt necessarily without 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. Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. Who wants more of the people who think professional wrestling is real or that 9/11 was an inside job to help pick the next president? WebPro: making election day a national holiday will increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote. ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. Pros & Cons Of Election Campaigns How to Become the US President. [23], Annie McDonald, Editor of the Berkeley Public Policy Journal, noted that the workers who are least likely to get paid holidays are those who already have less of a voice in the political process: Americans working in retail, hospitality, and service jobs, for example, would most likely not receive the benefit of a paid holiday to vote. ProCon.org. make Election Day [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. Michael Graham is political editor at InsideSources.com. . [2] Sundays were for rest and worship, and on Wednesdays farmers typically sold their crops at the market, making Tuesdays the best day of the week. Have you looked at who theyre voting for? Promotion of new political ideas. 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. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. Issues also arise when a persons polling place is far from their workplace or when there are long lines to vote during peak times like in the morning before work or in the evening after work. Its a move that could de-politicize some of the election reform discussion, as some of the ideas could receivebipartisan support. And who would get squeezed by the holiday? And these two nuggets, stashed inside Section 1903. Colleges should have already canceled Election Day classes. If not, youre out. Colorado College recently decided to give students the day off on Nov. 3. 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. To access extended pro and con arguments, sources, and discussion questions about whether Election Day should be a national holiday, go to ProCon.org. [31] Same-day registration boosts turnout by 5%, and universal implementation of it would have added as many as 4.8 million voters in the 2016 election, according to Danielle Root, JD, and Liz Kennedy, JD, from the Center for American Progress. These efforts challenge fundamental values of American democracy and constitute a serious threat to the one person, one vote principle. Useful for voters who are still indecisive. And the last thing that we want to do is not get someones ballot in because the postal service was closed down.. WebElection Day could be made a federal holiday if a bill were passed by the House and Senate then signed into law by the president. And if they get sick on Monday, the day before the election theyre not trying to get an emergency ballot, or something like that. For more information on how to vote, head over to our TurboVote module. 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). The types of workers least likely to reap the benefits of a federal holiday are those who already struggle to vote, Shineman noted. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Cookie Notice 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. Automatic Voter Registration 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). It is very, very hard to change core American traditions.. You may opt-out by. Pro and Con: Election Day Holiday | Britannica May improve popularity of a candidate. Why isn't Election Day a national holiday in the US? - KSDK Not everyone is jumping at the idea of making Election Day a state holiday, however. Making election day a holiday would improve the ability of the government to conduct elections. ", ProCon.org. Political science is the scientific study of politics. In a number of states, polling places have been closed in minority neighborhoods, which has created long lines and tremendous inconvenience for affected votersinconvenience with a cost, especially for those paid hourly wages.