pros and cons of making election day a national holiday

However, it gives voters the choice of not having to detour from their routines on Election Day. 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 I feel the commenter's central thesis is that there are way more Dems in the US then Repubels. You know what else they have? 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. Should Election Day Be a National Holiday? 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 . Making weekday elections a holiday would align the U.S. with other countries. Some countries Yes, its true Americas voting age is lower than some other developed countries. Or is it an optimistic idea that would exclude already disadvantaged voters while failing to increase turnout? But this arrangement began to raise concerns as travel and communication improved in the 19th century: Results from states that voted earlier could sway the outcome in states that voted later. [31]. There is a simple and straightforward solution: make Election Day a national holiday so that people have the time and freedom to vote without taking time off from work. This simple change would make it easier for Here are five reasons why Election Day should be a national holiday. The U.S. ranks 26th out of 32 for voter among This would actually make it even easier and validate businesses to give their employees the day off so that they can work the elections and serve as election workers. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. America is walking the knifes edge between maintaining and losing democracy. Everyone will get equal opportunity to vote. Pro/Con: Don't make Election Day a holiday; we don't need more One major reason: It comes down to tradition, Troy said. Mallory McMorrow (@MalloryMcMorrow) February 3, 2021. Folks who follow the news and keep up with current events sometimes forget theyre in the minority. She says thats especially important right now with more voters casting absentee ballots. 2. They stated, Citizen Day would do more than give our democracy the honor that it deserves; it would help our democracy work better. 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. It is very, very hard to change core American traditions.. Elections are federal holidays in Singapore, which, when combined with mandatory voting, resulted in a voter turnout of 93.6% for the 2015 election of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. 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. In this pro the author says that if election day was a holiday it would make more people vote and that is a good thing. 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. It shouldnt all come down to just one day. Rochester Hills City Clerk Tina Barton. The bill would also effectively revive Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which requires states with a history of voter discrimination have all changes to their election laws approved by the federal government, updating the law in response to the Supreme Courts 2013 holding in Shelby County v. Holder. 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. PRO/Con: Should Election Day be a federal holiday? If Election Day is a national holiday, would that mean the post office would be closed, she asked. Election Day Should Be A Federal Holiday 5 Reasons Election Day Should Be a National Holiday - Global Postings about current events are fine, as long as there is a political science angle. Presidential Election History. 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. 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 Michael Graham is political editor at InsideSources.com. [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. Establishing Election Day as a holiday, taken together with the pending federal voting rights reforms, would go a long way towards stabilizing democracy and ensuring basic democratic rights. Think of things such as voter ID laws, lowering the voting age, and abolishing the Electoral College. Should the United States Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections? If Election Day were a national holiday, how would you ensure hourly and low-income workers would get a chance to vote? Congress would shore up the peoples right to vote while guaranteeing the time to engage in this fundamental right. Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons - ProCon.org Explain your answer. If not, youre out. Lets assume there wont be an election holiday anytime soon not until Democrats control both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. Political science is the scientific study of politics. And these two nuggets, stashed inside Section 1903. Changing the laws and individual policies would be more effective ways to help people vote. Changing state laws and individual companies policies would be more effective ways to help people vote. Many Americans know that Election Day is a Tuesday, but few know why. [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. Rationality and coherent argument are encouraged, whereas ideological flamewars are strongly discouraged. The answer dates back to 1845, when Congress passed a law declaring that federal elections would be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. This year, more than 30 million Americans had already voted two weeks before todays Election Day an electoral surge never seen before. 11 . [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. While there are a lot of positives to creating a new national holiday, there are also some negatives. (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.). 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. But would such a change turn out the voters Democrats covet most? The United States currently has 10 national holidays, includingMemorial Day,Independence Day, andChristmas Day. Tuesday was chosen because it was most convenient for farmers traveling by horse and buggy at the time. However, I feel like this is painting with a broad stroke. 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. It needs better voters, people who have some vague notion of what theyre voting for or against, not just people practicing identity politics or voting with their political tribe. 1. All Rights Reserved. That, to me,is the real answer, she says. Caravans are joyful, noisy parades of cars festooned with flags and other decorations that stream through the streets ahead of an election and are credited with the islands over 80 percent turnout. [17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 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. What America needs isnt more voters. Useful for voters who are still indecisive. Colleges should have already canceled Election Day classes. Move Voting to Veterans Day - Politico An additional day off school would prove to be problematic for individuals who may not have other readily accessible forms of childcare. [24], People who have already suffered significant disenfranchisement, such as women and people of color, are more likely to be working those low-income jobs that wouldnt get the time off to vote even on a national holiday. Nationally in 2018, turnout was above 50%, with 35 million more voters than the previous midterm election in 2014. ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. Make Election Day a federal holiday. 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. The entire voter suppression conspiracy being advanced by progressives is nonsense on its face. In true American fashion, I say we take the day off, cast our votes, then stock up the ice chests with beer, fire up and thaw out the grill, gather with friends and neighbors while we argue and/or celebrate the individual we choose as commander in chief for the next four years. By registering through a routine and necessary transaction such as those at the DMV, voters wont have to worry about registration deadlines or application submissions. "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons." Pew Research Center found 71 percent of Democrats and 59 percent of Republicans support that. Litigation pending before the Supreme Court this term in Brnovich v. DNC, however, threatens to undermine this rule. 25, 2016, Chris Talgo, "Make Election Day a National Holiday? The idea that voting should be a celebration, not a chore is one argument for turning Election Day into a national holiday.

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