The pros and cons of the felon voting debate include arguments about the social contract, voting while in prison, and paying debts. 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. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? 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 automatic voter registration (nearly 87% of registered voters participated in the 2016 election), restoring voting rights for formerly incarcerated people and removing other barriers such as voter ID requirements and voter roll purges that often disenfranchise people of color. Rather, federal elections are held on the third Monday of October, every four years . Consider the potential benefits and difficulties of changing election day. Pro/Con Arguments | Discussion Questions | Take Action | Sources | More Debates, Election Day in the United States has occurred on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November ever since President John Tyler signed an 1845 law establishing a specific voting day for the entire country. Executive director and founder of the Center for Election Innovation & Research David Becker argues that increasing turnout is a nuanced problem that can't be fixed by declaring a holiday. Here are the four things I found interesting about this once as I mapped it out: 1) Yes, most of the world was shaped by colonialism. Sign up to receive a weekly email update on forthcoming public holidays around the world in your inbox every Sunday. "We should be making it easier for people to vote, not harder. Think about it. a list of voting rights provisions he would support. Whether election day should be made a national holiday is debated. Election dates are determined by the General Elections Commission (Indonesian: Typically on a Friday, but precise date set by, Municipal, provincial, and regional elections take place on a Sunday, as do elections for the. But none of those states have considerably high turnout compared to those where it isn't a holiday. 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. But it is not a federal holiday. But while experts say such a scheme is unlikely to fly in the US, making it easier for people to vote would appear to be a step in the right direction. ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. A lot of people go to work, or they're in school during the weekday. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. It can fall on or between November 2 and November 8. Most National Days are fixed, exceptions to this are shown below. Examine this opinion article from Evil HR Lady Suzanne Lucas on why election day should not be a national holiday. Think of things such as voter ID laws, lowering the voting age, and abolishing the Electoral College. America is walking the knifes edge between maintaining and losing democracy. [3] In 1800, 83% of the American labor force was agrarian, but today only 11% of total US employment is agriculture-related. [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. ProCon.org. ], [Editors Note: The MLA citation style requires double spacing within entries. In addition to honoring the sacrifices veterans have made, it would remind Americans that voting is a national duty, an obligation both to one another and to the nation; and it would strengthen American democratic political culture, by way of new rituals and traditions, Jill Lepore a Harvard professor of American history wrote in an essay for Politico. Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey agrees. Elections to the Bundestag may be held on another public holiday. In the 2016 election, only 56% of voting-age Americans cast their ballots. Presidential elections are held every four years, in years divisible by four, while the elections to the . By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider ", ProCon.org. Compulsory voting does not necessarily guarantee 100% turnout rates, however, though they still see higher rates than countries which do not require it. [1], An election day usually culminates in an election night when the results of the election are tallied and winners are announced.[2]. Mr. CHRISTENSEN: One of the biggest countries that uses compulsory voting is Australia. Theyare still considerably higher than in the United States, which typically sees about 65% on average turn out to vote for major elections. For rest of the festival holidays the declaration . A National Day is a date for a country to celebrate its nationhood. Why or why not? While countries like Belgium, Sweden, and Turkey saw more than 80% of their estimated voting-age population cast votes in recent elections, less than 56% of the estimated voting-age population in the US voted during the 2016 presidential election. "If I had my way, and I think it is really important, every . [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. However, making National Election Day a holiday will disadvantage low-income and blue . Politicians, most recently House Democrats in 2019, have also floated the idea of turning a weekday Election Day into a federal holiday, but to no avail. 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those countries. ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. Maybe that could give us some hint as to the frequent foreign sensitivities and accusations, right or wrong, about Western foreign policy echoing old colonial practices. Britain, after all, developed its political institutions pretty gradually, so there was no real "Bastille Day" moment that defines the modern nation. Tuesday was chosen because it was most convenient for farmers traveling by horse and buggy at the time. ", "National Electoral Code Article 53 and 148", Report of the 2014 National Lawyers Guild Bolivian Election Observation Delegation, Voting hours for elections in EU Member States, "The Parliamentary Electoral System in Denmark", Consultation Report on Review of Electoral Arrangements, "India Elects 2019: The World's Largest Election, Explained", "Six Nations match at the centre of row over election date - Independent.ie", "With full term possible, Netanyahu may outlast Ben-Gurion (and Obama)", Confessionalism and Electoral Reform in Lebanon, "Voters reminded not to reveal voting intention at Sunday's polling", "Malaysia's election on a Wednesday favors PM, opposition says", "Elections in Mexico and the US: Comparisons and contrasts", "Law on Election of Councillors and Members of Parliament", "Election Days General Elections 1853-2011", "The main features of the Norwegian electoral system", "Tribunal Electoral de Panam convoca a elecciones generales de 2024", "Peru Can Give U.S. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a group that includes 36 countries. Making the presidential election a national holiday is another way to get people to the polls. According to the Pew Research Center, of the thirty-six nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the U.S. is one of nine that votes on a week day, and one of seven that doesn't designateelection day a national holiday. Unlike Singapore, South Korea and Israel, Canada has not declared election days as public holidays. 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. It was created in 1992,. By comparison,. What we're proposing isn't that every Election Day becomes a national holiday, just the presidential election, which only takes place once every four years. The correct answer is B. Advertisement Advertisement marberman marberman List two to three ways. "With the variety of challenges that election officials face, [making Election Day a holiday] is well down on the list of those things that need to be addressed," Becker said. 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. And that election saw the second highest voter turnout in 20 years. "We already know how to make voting convenient to voters that's by offering them options, like making an election season rather than election day," he said. Part of HuffPost Home & Living. ], ProCon.org, "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons,", ProCon.org, "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons. Start the discussion over on our Facebook page, and let us know about civic engagement in your town, state, or country! Managing Editor Right now, federal elections are always held on Tuesdays, because farmers in the 1840s needed multiple days to get to the . The Evolution of American Voting Rights in 242 Years Shows How Far Weve Come -- and How Far We Still Have to Go, businessinsider.com, Sep. 24, 2019, University of Houston Digital History, "Agriculture, digitalhistory.uh.edu (accessed Sep. 24, 2019), USDA, "Ag and Food Sectors and the Economy, ers.usda.gov, Sep. 20, 2019, Legal Information Institute, "5 U.S. Code 6103. 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,". Plus, some experts say moving to weekend voting could substantially increase the cost of running elections. And. Without this simple step toward turning out as many Americans as possible to vote, any reform will be incomplete. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The founding fathers at first only granted white, male property owners the right to vote, so the expansion of voting rights has taken some time. In-person polls open Sunday at 12:01am, close Saturday at 11:59pm. Stay up to date with what you want to know. In Switzerland, only one canton (or member state) requires voting; it is voluntary all other cantons of the country. 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. Newsweek subscription offers > "For example, Australia typically has a turnout in the 90 percent or more range, and other nations such as Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Costa Rica and Mexico achieve. If Election Day were a national holiday, how would you ensure hourly and low-income workers would get a chance to vote? In fact, in Estonia, the option tovoteonlineis becoming increasingly popular. After all, what do our veterans fight for, if not for democracy itself? Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. [9], Former Editor-in-Chief of the Northwestern University Law Review, Beau C. Tremitiere, JD, stated, The demands of school and work schedules keep millions of Americans, especially those with children or long commutes, from ever getting to their polling stations The ideal solution is simple: Congress should make Election Day a national holiday, or move Election Day to the weekend. [10] A holiday would allow more citizens volunteer at polling places or drive the elderly to vote, and make a difference in states where long lines at the polls keep voters waiting for hours.