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. Sanctuary Cities: Top 3 Pros and Cons Kneeling during the National Anthem: Top 3 The types of workers least likely to reap the benefits of a federal holiday are those who already struggle to vote, Shineman noted. Arizona, for example, allows employees who do not have three consecutive hours before or after work when the polls are open to take paid time off to vote at the start or end of their work days. 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. Please enable javascript and refresh the page to continue reading local news. Approximately two million people who work for the federal government would be given a paid day off, and private companies might follow suit. At the top of his list: making Election Day a national holiday. Try lower-wage earners at restaurants and stores enterprises that would look to cash in if the working class got an extra day off. Tina Barton, a Republican Rochester Hills City Clerk has a lot of those questions, and more. 3. "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons." 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. Citizens have a right to vote. While no state has proposed reinstating the literacy tests, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses that effectively ended the burst of African-American franchise during Reconstruction, todays efforts to disenfranchise minority voters are similarly unsubtle. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 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. Election Day is a holiday in Puerto Rico. 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. States such as Georgia and Iowa already have passed restrictive measures and many others appear poised to do the same thing. We get about 20-25% of our absentee ballots come in on Election You know what else they have? WebPro: making election day a national holiday will increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote. 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. North Korea. Election Day could be made a federal holiday if a bill were passed by the House and Senate then signed into law by the president. As the chart shows, presidential turnout corresponds with midterm turnout and in 2018, turnout skyrocketed from 36.7% four years previously to 49.6%. WebElection Campaign Cons. our colleagues on the other side, on their campaigns.. Winds light and variable. 1. 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). Countries that have weekend or holiday elections do tend to have better turnout overall. The bill had zero co-sponsors and went 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 Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. The result is voter turnout rates of 72.3% and 77.2% respectively, which is 26-32% higher than the United States. 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. The US ranks 26th out of 32 for voter turnout for Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. 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. And the last thing that we want to do is not get someones ballot in because the postal service was closed down.. And so, 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.. WebAt the opening of Congress this past January, House Democrats introduced a proposal to make Election Day a national holiday. Should the United States Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections? 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). Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. It would also blunt the impact of many of these baldly anti-democratic movesopening the doors to the house as Republicans attempt to shut the windows. For example, although most schools are closed anyway because theyre being used as polling places,not all of them are, which begs the question: If were going to be closing more schools and possibly daycares would that cause childcare problems that would actually make it harder for some people to vote? - Vincent Hutchings, a University of Michigan political science professor, - Gil Troy, American presidential historian, 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, Joaquin Corbalan / EyeEm via Getty Images, as travel and communication improved in the 19th century, being too busy or having a conflicting schedule, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, substantially increase the cost of running elections, move that would make it easier for Americans to vote, The types of workers least likely to reap the benefits. However, I feel like this is painting with a broad stroke. There is one other option: move elections to Saturdays. Virginia Gov. ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. What then to do about American elections? A subreddit to discuss political science. 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. 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. WebElection Day becoming a federal holiday will elevate voting to a democratic holiday. [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. Other countries take heroic efforts to ensure that people can vote if they desire. Such a change would mostly benefit white-collar workers instead of the lower-income workers its designed to help. Way too many Americans are voting already. A part-time hourly worker is more likely to have multiple jobs, none of which are likely to offer time off. 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. [16]. 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 Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams, for example, says she lost the 2018 governors race as a victim of some ballot-blocking scheme. 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. But thats not guarantor of a higher turnout. However, it wasnt until recently that the idea gained any traction in Congress. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. It deals with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and laws. US Political Parties. 5. ProCon.org. 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. In the Golden State, a majority of voters make their choices by mail rather than going to polling places on Election Day. 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. Making Election Day a national holiday will disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers. 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. This Material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form. Litigation pending before the Supreme Court this term in Brnovich v. DNC, however, threatens to undermine this rule. But only 35% bothered to cast un bulletin de votein the second round of Frances parliamentary election (its what comes from loading the ticket with the likes of retired matadors and mathematical savants). ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. The idea of combining Veterans Day with National Election Day has been brought up for debate, but that doesnt make much sense. Should Election Day Be a National Holiday? South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. 2. "We do not have real political democracy, let alone economic democracy. Instead of having the names spelled out, voters would pick between Oje Diben and Noladd Rumpt.. Rose Marcario, CEO, stated, demonstrating your companys commitment to voting will reinforce how essential it is that every eligible voter shows up. It is very, very hard to change core American traditions which Americans see not only as propping up their democracy but perpetuating its legitimacy, he said. 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? [15] A survey showed that US adults would rather have a federal holiday on Election Day than on Christmas Eve, the Friday after Thanksgiving, or St. Patricks day. 25, 2016, Chris Talgo, "Make Election Day a National Holiday? In Australia, where voting is mandatory, elections are celebrated with parties and barbecues, resulting in turnout rates around 90 percent. Protections for individuals with disabilities: The bill would address some of the biggest challenges to voting access that Americans with disabilities face. This article was published on October 1, 2020, at Britannicas ProCon.org, a nonpartisan issue-information source. It was a modern record for the Peach State. 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. One example: if its a holiday, kids are home from schoolmaking it much harder for parents to have time to get to the polls. Advertisement. [14], Pew Research Center found that 71% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans support making Election Day a federal holiday. What America needs isnt more voters. The three presidential elections held in the 1960s ranged from a high of 63.8% (JFK) to a low of 62.5% (Nixon). and our All rights reserved. Would you have to pay all levels of election workers holiday pay, which would make administering elections more expensive? 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 Making weekday elections a national holiday is a popular idea that would align the US with other countries. People who work long shifts, juggle multiple jobs, Reformers will be far more successful adding a few days or options or opportunities than trying to undo Election Day.. [36]. America is walking the knifes edge between maintaining and losing democracy. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. The ideal ballot would have the candidates in one alphabetical list on one side, and the offices they seek on the other. ", ProCon.org. And it will, in turn, help strengthen the idea that businesses can and will come together for a worthy common purpose: protecting our democracy by empowering all American workers to be good citizens. [30], Solutions such as automatic voter registration, same-day registration, early voting, no-excuse absentee voting, restoring voting rights to former felons, improved civics education, and voter outreach would all improve voter participation more reliably than a national holiday. Again, it is not clear that this is demonstrably true but it is a widespread perception. The U.S. ranks 26th out of 32 for voter among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. 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. Managing Editor Postings about current events are fine, as long as there is a political science angle. Voter turnout in the U.S. is generally quite low, trailing behind that of other developed democracies around the world, according to another Pew study. These efforts challenge fundamental values of American democracy and constitute a serious threat to the one person, one vote principle. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. 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. Last week his office released a list of voting rights provisions he would support. But one idea that could get support and pushback from both sides of the aisle is making Election Day a state holiday. ProCon.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity. 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. ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. Approximately two million people who work for the federal government would be given a paid day off, and private companies might follow suit. [31][32] Trying one of these alternatives would avoid the negative economic impact of closing businesses for Election Day. Rationality and coherent argument are encouraged, whereas ideological flamewars are strongly discouraged. Some businesses may close, but their hourly paid employees will either have to use a PTO day or not get paid.. This year, more than 30 million Americans had already voted two weeks before todays Election Day an electoral surge never seen before. Should the United States Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections? [15] Israel and South Korea make national elections a holiday to avoid economic hardship for voters. Political science is the scientific study of politics. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? Useful for voters who are still indecisive. ", "While it is the purview of the states to set election rules, I will encourage them to make voting fair and easily accessible for all voters.". [10][11]] Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? [26] Caravanas are joyful, noisy parades of cars festooned with flags and other decorations that stream through Puerto Ricos streets ahead of an election and are credited with the islands over 80% voter turnout. Election Day Holiday.. 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 Folks who follow the news and keep up with current events sometimes forget theyre in the minority. You have permission to edit this article. [28][29], Patagonia, an outdoor clothing retailer, paused operation on Nov. 6, 2018 so that all employees could vote. 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. I believe Election Day should be a holiday so we can get our maximum participation, says Jacobs. Why or why not? Election Day in the United States has occurred on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November ever since PresidentJohn Tylersigned an 1845 law establishing a specific voting day for the entire country. 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? 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. But experts say improving voter turnout is a complicated issue that no single silver bullet strategy can solve. Lets look at why Congress has never made Election Day a [27], Companies including Abercrombie & Fitch Co., Farmers Insurance, Kaiser Permanente, Patagonia, and Walmart have joined Make Time to Vote campaign, which encourages employers to provide paid time off, schedule no meetings on Election Day, and give information on mail-in ballots and early voting.
Jack Stevens Music,
Wells Fargo Medallion Signature Guarantee Locations,
St Mark's Hospital Eating Disorder Unit,
Why Does My Avocado Taste Salty,
Rob Brydon Podcast Spotify,
Articles P
