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Some have noted that Veterans Day is a federal holiday close to Election Day and have suggested merging the two. It would give people time to vote. But some election analysts told CBS News that making Election Day a holiday is not a way to make voting easier. The date for the annual federal holiday was established by Congress with the Monday Holidays Act, which went into effect in 1971.. Israel and South Korea make national elections a holiday to avoid economic hardship for … OK, so why Tuesday? A number of bills — like the Weekend Voting Act — have been proposed in Congress over the years, often by Democrats. Roughly 138 million Americans voted in the 2016 presidential election, just 61.4% of the 214,109,360 million who were registered to vote, according to The U.S. Election Assistance Commission. However, rules, dates and deadlines vary by state, which can be confusing to some voters. Why Election Day isn’t a federal holiday. Others have suggested making Veterans Day (Nov. 11), which is already a paid national holiday, Election Day. And I think on Election Day we should have a national holiday which says, 'you don't have to rush to vote.' By Kate Grumke ... Pres. Election Day is already a holiday for state employees in more than a dozen states including Kentucky, Michigan, and New York. “Because Saturday and Sunday are Sabbath days for devout Jews and Christians, elections would probably have to be held over the two-day period — creating a need for more poll workers and a process for securing ballots overnight,” Victoria Shineman, a University of Pittsburgh political science professor, wrote in The Washington Post. "Election Day really definitely does need to be a holiday," she said, adding, "We need to be able to have everybody feel like they have a great stake in it.". Although declaring Election Day a federal holiday would not immediately threaten the sanctity of federalism, it would surely undermine it. “The types of workers least likely to reap the benefits of a federal holiday are those who already struggle to vote,” Shineman noted. There's been some talk about moving election day to the weekend instead of Tuesday, but that probably won't happen anytime soon. "[Early and at-home voting] helps prevent bottlenecks for election administrators because it 'flattens the curve' for when ballots are cast by large numbers of voters," Perez said. Part of HuffPost Home & Living. Election Day is not a state holiday in this U.S. state, nor is it a federal holiday. Issues also arise when a person’s 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. Election Day isn’t a Federal Reserve holiday. Efforts include this bill introduced in 2002 to make Election Day an official federal holiday, and this bill from 2001 to actually move the day to Veterans Day. “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.”. While the majority of US states have voter leave laws that guarantee certain employees a modicum of time off … In 2018, a Pew study found that 65% of Americans favored making Election Day a national holiday. But if we have too many holidays… As Election Day looms, you’re probably hearing a lot about why you need to get your butt to the polls. Declaring Election Day a holiday has been proposed various times in Congress; it's a popular idea. From our Obsession. When this happens on a broad enough level, the concept of voting resonates with more people … The date was chosen by federal lawmakers to avoid conflicts with religious services and ease travel logistics for farmers and business owners. “If you make election day a federal holiday, you’ll 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 won’t have child care because the schools will be closed,” Suzanne Lucas, who previously worked in human resources, wrote in a piece for Inc.com. The government couldn't mandate private employers to grant their workers a holiday. Copyright © 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. There's been some talk about moving election day to the weekend instead of Tuesday, but that probably won't happen anytime soon. In November 2014, after a voter turnout of less than 40%, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced legislation to create the holiday called Democracy Day, though it didn't result in any change during the 113th Congress. Both of these dates are fixed by the Constitution for certain events to take place, but the federal government continues as usual on these days. Election Day isn't a national holiday in the US, but some people think it should be. 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. The territory of Puerto Rico also recognizes Election Day as a holiday. I don’t know any people who dislike paid federal holidays. Making Election Day a holiday is not a new idea. Why Isn't Election Day a National Holiday? The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November was chosen as Election Day in 1845 to accommodate farmers. And so while it's very understandable that people are trying to find ways to make it more convenient for people to vote, it's very likely that Election Day as a national holiday would actually hurt the voters who most need more options," Becker said. 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. (And in case you’re 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.). For more information on how to vote, head over to our TurboVote module. Officially, the holiday has another name. News and information you need, from a source you trust. It’s hard to say. "We should be making it easier for people to vote, not harder. Not only would making Election Day a federal holiday increase voter turnout among Americans, which is something that politicians and citizens in general complain about often, but it would also ignite a more patriotic spirit amongst the American people. In the late 1960s, Congress began debating the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill, which should have been named the Three-Day Weekend Bill, as it moved a number of federal holidays to Mondays. But experts say improving voter turnout is a complicated issue that no single “silver bullet” strategy can solve. Cillizza: In 2019, congressional Democrats proposed making election day a holiday but it never went anywhere. As a US citizen, voting is one right. The bill has no cosponsors, but the concept was supported by every 2020 Democratic candidate for president, excluding Mike Bloomberg and now-nominee Joe Biden. Consider the pandemic, which has not given essential workers more time off. Past efforts to make Election Day a holiday have failed. He thinks the increased options afforded by early and mail-in voting could be undermined by making Election Day a holiday, creating "a solution in search of a problem. Election day should be a national holiday Beau C. Tremitiere, editor-in-chief of the Northwestern University Law Review Published 4:52 PM ET Tue, 5 July 2016 CNBC.com “Again, it is not clear that this is demonstrably true but it is a widespread perception. Plus, some experts say moving to weekend voting could substantially increase the cost of running elections. Concentrating voters into a single day risks congesting polling places, even more so than some already are. Millions of Americans admit they didn't vote in the last presidential election because of busy schedules . "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. Neither is Election Day. Election officials in various states have predicted historic levels of turnout in 2020, with a chance to reach the highest ever. The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November was chosen as Election Day in 1845 to accommodate farmers. Vanita Gupta, CEO of the Leadership Conference on Human and Civil Rights, is working to increase voter participation and decrease voter disenfranchisement. Because of the pandemic, more U.S. voters are exploring alternatives to voting on Election Day, such as early voting and mail-in voting. 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. In the 2016 presidential election, 14% of registered voters cited “being too busy or having a conflicting schedule” as the main reason they didn’t cast their ballots, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data. “Some businesses may close, but their hourly paid employees will either have to use a PTO day or not get paid.”. This Monday, some folks will have a day off to commemorate Columbus Day and some won’t. - Vincent Hutchings, a University of Michigan political science professor, - Gil Troy, American presidential historian, An essential daily guide to achieving the good life, “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. 1. With just about six in 10 voters turning out to vote in the U.S., some civil rights advocates are arguing that it's about time to give Americans the day off to vote. Let’s look at why Congress has never made Election Day a national holiday. Even in the states that do recognize it as a holiday, your bank will probably be open today. The mail will still be delivered, banks are still open, etc. Countries that have weekend or holiday elections do tend to have better turnout overall. Hailey said the country needs a "cultural shift" to prioritize voting. ... Why Isn't Election Day A Holiday? In many other democracies around the world, national elections are held on the weekend or are a federal holiday. By … Senator Bernie Sanders has certainly tried — he introduced the "Democracy Day Act" in 2018, which proposed making Election Day a federal holiday. Inauguration Day (Jan. 20, 2017), on the other hand, is a holiday Why isn't Election Day a Federal Holiday ? Election Day has been on the Tuesday after the first Monday of November since 1845. Cleaver isn't even convinced that simply declaring Election Day a national holiday would make great strides to remedy America's low voter turnout. What would if hospitals had to shut down because everyone got the day off. In some of these countries, voting is compulsory, and in most of them, Election Day is a holiday. (voting, Congress, campaign) - Elections - Page 2 - City-Data Forum (Only 58 … "Election Day as a national holiday would mean things like perhaps reduced schedules for public transportation, schools being closed, hourly workers perhaps being incentivized to work more with time and a half. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. In a world where it’s easier to find disinformation than … Presidents Day 2020: What's open, closed during federal holiday? But, consistently, a huge chunk of the American population fails to do just that — especially in midterm elections. The COVID-19 pandemic … And that election saw the second highest voter turnout in 20 years. "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. But none of those states have considerably high turnout compared to those where it isn't a holiday. In the 2016 election, only 56% of voting-age Americans cast their ballots. #takebacktuesday When you get to thinking about it, holding an election in the middle of the work week doesn’t make … Why Federal Election Day Should Be A National Holiday Some may argue that “my vote doesn’t matter”, but that’s actually not a stance against the importance of voting; it’s a stance against the current election system. Because of the pandemic, more U.S. voters are exploring alternatives to voting on Election Day, such as early voting and mail-in voting. Making Election Day a federal holiday in the U.S. CBS News reporter covering the environment. ATLANTA — For many Americans, voting on Election Day is a tradition, and some wonder why it’s not a national holiday. America is basically alone in not making it easier for its citizens to vote. Got the day off so they extinguish the fire , and people die. The annual event is also pegged to a gigantic motor vehicle sales push in neighborhoods across the country, … So, since this effort does not receive bipartisan support, it is difficult to enact.”. Why Isn't Election Day a Holiday in America? Now, an argument can be made about implementing stricter guidelines from the Federal level down, … South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. Why can’t Election Day be a national holiday so every citizen can exercise their right? You can access some NARA holdings online. A federal holiday is just a day when federal employees get a day off. 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. People still work on holidays, as other answers pointed out, so that solves very little in that regard. There are … Officially, the holiday is called Washington’s Birthday, to honor the first American president, George Washington. 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 even if it were a federal holiday, that wouldn't ensure that all voting-age Americans would have the day off. Election Day should not be a holiday because if you got time that could cause a disaster. That’s not to say no one has tried. Patients would be taken care of and they could die. Could that ever happen in the U.S.? Vote.org has called on Amazon, Disney, McDonald's and others to offer paid time off for employees to vote and or work the polls. Let’s look at why Congress has never made Election Day a national holiday. In 2018, a Pew study found that 65% of Americans favored making Election Day a … Why -- and does that mean it needs to be done on the state, not federal, level? November 7, 2018. The first bill House Democrats introduced this January included a proposal to make Election Day a national holiday. More for convenience than anything else, most states hold their general elections to sync with the federal election date of the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November. By Monday morning, nearly 60 million had already voted early across the country, closing in on half of 2016's total voter turnout.

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