Carlson calls on Minnesotans to oppose sulfide mining, Local View: The stories of spring, other seasons, play out in the night sky, In Response: Expensive or not, Minnesota a good place to do business, The beginning of the rest of their lives: Powwow recognizes Fond du Lac graduates and more, Lake Superior Medical Equipment relocates to West Duluth after fire, Minnesota DNR, feds sign agreement over logging in wildlife areas, Special Olympics return to Northland after 3 years. 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. 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). And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who dont to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. [1] Singapore has election day as a federal holiday, and in 2015 this resulted in a voter turnout of 93.6%. Some countries Partly cloudy skies. Cookie Notice He previously reported on the Michigan Legislature for the Michigan Public Radio Network. Bernie Sanders attempted to pass an Election Day holiday under the "Democracy Day Act" in 2018. However, I feel like this is painting with a broad stroke. And even if elections arent routine in the age of Donald Trump, its a nice option to have. It shouldnt all come down to just one day. Rochester Hills City Clerk Tina Barton. 3. Other solutions would more reliably increase voter turnout than a national holiday. 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 Roughly the same odds as Mitch McConnell doing hot yoga with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. [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. Virginia Gov. How to Become the US President. Before that point, states could hold their presidential elections on any day within a certain 34-day window. America is walking the knifes edge between maintaining and losing democracy. 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). ], [Editors Note: The MLA citation style requires double spacing within entries. Compulsory voting. If you feel you have received this message in error, please contact the customer support team at 1-833-248-7801. 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. [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. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson wants to make Election Day a state holiday, but some worry about unintended consequences. May improve popularity of a candidate. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. US Political Parties. 12, 2019, Ceylan Pumphrey, "Do Businesses Have to Give Federal Holidays Like Presidents Day Off?, blogs.findlaw.com, Feb. 14, 2018, Department of Labor, "Holiday Pay, dol.gov (accessed Sep. 23, 2019), Peggy Emch, "Is Holiday Pay Required by Law?, timesheets.com, 2013, Fast Casual, "Study: Why Hourly Workers Forced to Work Multiple Jobs, fastcasual.com, Apr. Changing the laws and individual policies would be more effective ways to help people vote. Hey, you know who really has high voter turnout? Lets get early in-person voting in place in Michigan, so that everyone has an opportunity that fits their schedule. Making election day a holiday would improve the ability of the government to conduct elections. The U.S. ranks 26th out of 32 for voter among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. Partly cloudy skies. 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. 25, 2016, Chris Talgo, "Make Election Day a National Holiday? WebPro: making election day a national holiday will increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote. [15] Israel and South Korea make national elections a holiday to avoid economic hardship for voters. Sweden came second with 82.6%. [3] In 1800, 83% of the American labor force was agrarian, but today only 11% of total US employment is agriculture-related. 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). [16]. . 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. Other countries take heroic efforts to ensure that people can vote if they desire. WebPros: A day will be marked on your calendar for voting. It does not force voters to elect any one candidate and therefore, we believe, it survives constitutional muster. And what happens to be at the top of the list? Its time to make voting harder. But would such a change turn out the voters Democrats covet most? One major reason: It comes down to tradition, Troy said. @TinaLBarton gave me some good insight that caused me to reconsider my bill that would have done just that. Making Election Day a national holiday will disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers. 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. Really? 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. Explain your answer. [24] Holidays usually mean more work hours for retail workers, because stores run promotions and sales. ProCon.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity. If not, youre out. By comparison, Belgium reported the highest OECD voter turnout: 87.2% in the most recent national election. WebElection Day becoming a federal holiday will elevate voting to a democratic holiday. We get about 20-25% of our absentee ballots come in on Election https://www.britannica.com/story/pro-and-con-election-day-holiday. Many Americans know that Election Day is a Tuesday, but few know why. Funding by lobbyists is a big problem. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? 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. 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. Changing state laws and individual companies 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. 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. Giving people the day to vote would be the first public holiday in the United States. Plus, some experts say moving to weekend voting could substantially increase the cost of running elections. North Korea. In fact, these voters may be more likely to have to work as a result of a federal election holiday, where they may have had time off previously on a random Tuesday in November. Michael Graham is political editor at InsideSources.com. I invite you to follow me onTwitter:@hooverwhalen, This is a BETA experience. (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';fnames[1]='FNAME';ftypes[1]='text';fnames[2]='LNAME';ftypes[2]='text';fnames[4]='MMERGE4';ftypes[4]='date';fnames[6]='MMERGE6';ftypes[6]='text';fnames[5]='MMERGE5';ftypes[5]='date';fnames[3]='MMERGE3';ftypes[3]='date';fnames[7]='MMERGE7';ftypes[7]='date';fnames[8]='MMERGE8';ftypes[8]='zip';fnames[9]='MMERGE9';ftypes[9]='radio';fnames[10]='MMERGE10';ftypes[10]='text';fnames[11]='MMERGE11';ftypes[11]='text';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true); Your connection to news, music, conversation. If Election Day is a national holiday, would that mean the post office would be closed, she asked. So, no, please dont make Election Day a holiday. Winds light and variable. Federal law doesnt require private employers to give employees paid holidays. All this despite the fact that these types of restrictions have typically been considered illegal under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires that elections be equally open to all people. So who benefits if the U.S. move to a system where its adults have all of Tuesday to go to polls, if they so choose? 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.. With the exception of employers, who doesnt want another paid day off? One must While these provisions represent major steps in the right direction, they are not enough. According to the U.S. Census Bureaus data on nonvoters, registered voters from households making more than $150,000 are most likely to say they dont have time to turn out on Election Day. Explore which countries have weekend voting with Pew Research. 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. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 (Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg), Controversial Program Could Diminish NASAs Credibility And Its Federal Funding, Shelter From A Storm: Protecting The Housing Market From Itself. Managing Editor One way to judge that: prioritized legislation. But other solutions would more reliably increase turnout. Protections for individuals with disabilities: The bill would address some of the biggest challenges to voting access that Americans with disabilities face. Last week his office released a list of voting rights provisions he would support. ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 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. At the heart of the debate is voter turnout give more people the day off, more people will go out of their way to head to the polls. In India, for example, a polling place is required within two kilometers (about a mile) of every single person in the country of 1.4 billion. 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? The result is voter turnout rates of 72.3% and 77.2% respectively, which is 26-32% higher than the United States. We would put in place automatic voter registration, same-day registration, extended voting days, Election Day as a National Holiday, and other reforms, including mandatory voting (vote or pay a moderate fine) as practiced in Australia, Belgium, and much of Latin America, with a None of the Above option that would trigger a new election if it wins. [6] Election Day could be made a holiday if a bill were passed by the House and Senate then signed into law by the president. 10 . Political campaigns can help winning elections. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. 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? Election Day in the United States is the Tuesday following the first Monday in November of an election year. So, since this effort does not receive bipartisan support, it is difficult to enact.. [36]. A part-time hourly worker is more likely to have multiple jobs, none of which are likely to offer time off. 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. Cons: Private employers are not required to give their employees federal holidays anyways. 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. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. 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. 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. Her ideas include requiring a statewide risk-limiting audit of an elections results before the state certification,giving clerks more time ahead of Election Day to process ballots and banning open carry of firearms within 100 feet of polling locations. 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. 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. 2. [4][5], The United States currently has 10 national holidays, including Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Christmas Day. Lets look at why Congress has never made Election Day a These efforts challenge fundamental values of American democracy and constitute a serious threat to the one person, one vote principle. Litigation pending before the Supreme Court this term in Brnovich v. DNC, however, threatens to undermine this rule. In many other democracies around the world, national elections are held on the weekend or are a federal holiday. The US ranks 26th out of 32 for voter turnout among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. The three presidential elections held in the 1960s ranged from a high of 63.8% (JFK) to a low of 62.5% (Nixon). And who would get squeezed by the holiday? [31][32] Trying one of these alternatives would avoid the negative economic impact of closing businesses for Election Day. 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). Citizens have a right to vote. Poland, for example, holds elections on weekends. Rationality and coherent argument are encouraged, whereas ideological flamewars are strongly discouraged. In the 2016 election, only 56% of voting-age Americans cast their ballots. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. All rights reserved. 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 participation. Why or why not? After all, what do our veterans fight for, if not for democracy itself? People who work long shifts, juggle multiple jobs, American election laws have been reformed before with minimal impact on voter turnout which remains low compared to other democracies around the world. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Everyone will get equal opportunity to vote. 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. Approximately two million people who work for the federal government would be given a paid day off, and private companies might follow suit. Thats not to say no one has tried. 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. Furthermore, making this small shift would celebrate the purpose and sacrifice of our fighting forces. Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons - ProCon.org Its one of many sweeping changes she would like to see in stateelection law. Last modified on April 13, 2020. [18][19], Federal law doesnt require private employers to give employees paid federal holidays. Could that ever happen in the U.S.? There is one other option: move elections to Saturdays. Last modified on October 1, 2020. Have you looked at who theyre voting for? We want parents to vote, not get stuck. Not useful if people have strong opinions. 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. Part of HuffPost Home & Living. When turnout is high, it becomes increasingly fruitless for politicians to play to their base in ways that allow a vocal minority to rule, which is how many American leaders currently operate. Move past the theatrics of the government shutdown, impeachment and the threat of investigations ad infinitumand theres the question of Democrat squad goals in a Pelosi-run House of Representatives. Rose Marcario, CEO, stated, demonstrating your companys commitment to voting will reinforce how essential it is that every eligible voter shows up. The idea of combining Veterans Day with National Election Day has been brought up for debate, but that doesnt make much sense. Even some Democrats are saying that it could have unintended consequences. Approximately two million people who work 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. ], ProCon.org, "Should Election Day Be a National Holiday?,", ProCon.org, "Should Election Day Be a National Holiday? 20, 2018, Annie McDonald, "Ensuring Access to Election Day for All, bppj.berkely.edu, Nov. 6, 2018, Suzanne Lucas, "No, Election Day Should Not Be a Federal Holiday, inc.com, Oct. 24, 2016, Kenneth Quinnell, "Know Your Rights: State Laws on Employee Time off to Vote, aflicio.org, Nov. 5, 2016, Osita Nwanevu, "Maybe Making Election Day a National Holiday Wouldnt Really Work, slate.com, Nov. 3, 2016, Abigail Hess, "A Record 44% of US Employers Will Give Their Workers Paid Time off to Vote This Year, cnbc.com, Oct. 31, 2018, Make Time to Vote, homepage, maketimetovote.org (accessed Sep. 24, 2019), Rose Marcario, "Time to Vote, patagonia.com, Sep. 24, 2018, Danielle Root and Liz Kennedy, "Increasing Voter Participation in America, americanprogress.org, July 11, 2018, Kelly Born, "Increasing Voter Turnout: What, If Anything, Can Be Done?, ssir.org, Apr. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. Opponents say it allows only a few states to select the president. 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. 4. 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. To have a democratic society, we need to restructure government and elections. 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. [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. "Should Election Day Be a National Holiday?" 2. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. 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. Useful for voters who are still indecisive. Making Election Day a national holiday would turn voting into a celebration of democracy. 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. In addition, those who wish to cast their ballots have ample opportunity to do so. A handful of states have made election day a state holiday, including New York, Hawaii, Kentucky, and, in Apr. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson wants to make Election Day a holiday in Michigan. Reformers will be far more successful adding a few days or options or opportunities than trying to undo Election Day.. This year, more than 30 million Americans had already voted two weeks before todays Election Day an electoral surge never seen before.
Jacob Cook Testimony,
John Schneider Net Worth 2021,
Bose Headphones Paired But Not Connected Windows 10,
Salvatore Toddo Aurello Death,
Articles P