Compulsory voting does not necessarily guarantee 100% turnout rates, however, though they still see higher rates than countries which do not require it. While states such as Virginia, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky and New York have made Election Day a state holiday, the gesture simply is not enough until it is a federal policy for the benefit of all Americans. These numbers also may be indicative of higher turnout for major elections, but may not reflect engagement in local or regional elections. To look through the stats for voter turnout for other countries, you can visit the website for the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) and explore the data. Long lines discourage voting. Election Day is a holiday in Puerto Rico. Some may just not want to vote, and others may be deterred by other factors. In fact, in Estonia, the option to vote online is becoming increasingly popular. Sometimes, specific ballot measures can influence voter turnout: in the UK, the Brexit vote resulted in a 72% turnout, slightly higher than the average of 69%. South Korea’s Election Day had been a temporary holiday since the founding of the government in 1948, only to be elevated as an official national holiday since 2006 with the amendment of the Public Official Election … Estonia is the only country to fully adopt online voting, but other countries, such as Australia, Canada, and Norway, have looked into pursuing it as an option in the future. Election Day is a US State Holiday observed on several states on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every even-numbered year. And let's be blunt-- in many states, the goal of making it easy for people to vote is superseded by the desire to make it hard for people to vote, because those people might vote against the party in power! Voter turnout in the United States is usually considered low, especially in years without a presidential election. Participate in CultureReady’s ongoing cultural conversations by contributing a blog post you’ve written. The COVID-19 pandemic convinced many Americans to vote by mail or vote early to avoid crowds. The earliest possible date that Election Day can fall on is November 2nd, and the latest possible date is November 8th. The US isn't the only developed country that faces this criticism, however. For example, in Ecuador, only literate citizens between 18 and 65 are required to vote; those over 65 or who are not literate are not required. For so many reasons, Election Day should be a national holiday. And it also means that more polling places, including in schools, can be more readily available, and more and younger poll workers will be able to serve. In Australia, all citizens of age to vote are required, and if they fail to do so, they face fines. © 2021 Defense Language and National Security Education Office (DLNSEO).All Rights Reserved. In the United States, it varies from state to state and even county to county, so the idea that one entire country might use the same voting method is actually pretty unique to Americans! Canada's turnout is about the same as the United States', with an average of 68%, and though one canton in Switzerland has a compulsory voting law, for the country as a whole turnout is around 49%, one of the lowest rates in OECD countries. Younger generations are also more likely to participate in political discussions online, which shows that a move towards digitizing the political and voting processes may not be too far off. 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 … proposal at the federal level is to make Veterans Day into Election Day, he said that making voting easier via vote by mail would be bad because it would hurt Republicans. However, while Election Day is not recognized as a national holiday on a federal level, some states have worked to write it into law as a state holiday… In some of these countries, voting is compulsory, and in most of them, Election Day is a holiday. Because while businesses … Continue reading "Dinner Table Conversation: Should Election Day Be A National Holiday … Election Day isn't a national holiday in the US, but some people think it should be. Voting can undoubtedly be a burden for Americans who have to work for a living, and this is especially true for those who can’t afford to take a day off in the middle of the … We need more changes in the voting system to greatly enhance our turnout, including automatic voter registration, several days of early voting, more states adopting at least. In Switzerland, only one canton (or member state) requires voting; it is voluntary all other cantons of the country. There are also the countless citizen petitions to make the day a holiday. Turning Election Day into a national holiday would instill a sense of pride in all citizens, knowing they have the ability to cast a ballot regardless of work. An alternative would be to declare Election Day a national holiday. 4800 Mark Center Drive | Suite 08G08 Some countries, about 27 of them, make voting compulsory. Analysis by Chris Cillizza, CNN Editor-at-large, Updated 2030 GMT (0430 HKT) April 13, 2020. They are still considerably higher than in the United States, which typically sees about 65% on average turn out to vote for major elections. (CNN)On Sunday, Virginia Democratic Gov. Well, when it comes to voting on Election Day versus going to work, some people opt to do the latter. However, the issues vary among different demographic groups. Both are important, but there are only so many hours in a day, right? But making election day a holiday does two things: it underscores the importance of voting, and it makes it easier for working people to vote. Countries like France, Germany, and India all recognize Election Day as a national holiday or hold elections on the weekend in order to increase voter turnout. Election Day is right around the corner. Make sure to read up on these important facts before you hit the polls. No one would have to … … For starters, the United States is rather unique in that it schedules its election day on a weekday, let alone a Tuesday. Presented by:Defense Language and National Security Education Office In fact, many companies have already started to give their employees Election Day off, including Best Buy, Gap, Nike and Visa. 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. Declaring Election Day a national holiday could help to combat these discriminatory efforts and encourage all Americans to take 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 designate election day a national holiday. Why Election Day is Held on a Tuesday in November in the U.S. A Boatload of Ballots: Midterm Voter Turnout Hit 50-Year High, Estonia's i-voting: more secure, more popular, Macedonia referendum: Low voter turnout puts country's name change at risk, What Voting and Elections Look Like Around the World, X Marks the Choice: Voting Methods around the World, Leader Development and Education for Sustained Peace (LDESP) Program, Celebrate International Education Week 2019, Defense Language and National Security Education Office. The first bill House Democrats introduced this January included a proposal to make Election Day a national holiday. All 435 representatives were up for re-election, as well as a third of senators, and countless elections for governors, mayors, state legislators, and local government across the country. Making Election Day a holiday is not a new idea. A holiday means that people can vote whenever it is convenient. Meanwhile, in Macedonia this past September, voters chose to stay away from the polls because of the proposed name change for the country. If Election Day is made into a national holiday, it would demonstrate that voting truly is a right — one worth putting other things on hold for — and not a privilege. Some countries use electronic voting machines, such as India, while others rely on paper ballots, such as Zimbabwe. Twenty states currently allow employers to fire you for taking time off to vote, while others guarantee only a limited time to cast your ballot, and often at the expense of pay. There’s only one serious objection to this idea: paid holidays are a burden on employers and reduce economic output. The solution is easy: Make Election Day a national holiday. Election Day has fallen on Tuesday since 1845 — a decision based on convenience. Read about Election Day in USA in 2021. Maybe it’s time to revisit the idea of making Election Day a national holiday. However, proponents of the idea might be surprised by who's too busy to vote on Election Day -- and who suffers most should there be such a holiday. Defense Language and National Security Education Office (DLNSEO), 60% of the eligible voting population vast a vote, looked at a few different methods of voting. 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 ATLANTA — For many Americans, voting on Election Day is a tradition, and some wonder why it’s not a national holiday. Several efforts to change this archaic tradition and establish Election Day as a national holiday have been made over the years, but to no avail. Research has found that higher trust in the government and democratic process leads to greater voter turnout. Other countries may only require it of certain people, and otherwise make it voluntary for others. 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 designate election day a national holiday. Ornstein: It is not common to have Election Day as a holiday, although some state primaries, like South Carolina, have been held on Saturdays to … You’d have all day to think about when you wanted to vote. In the United States, states decide whether or not Election Day Pew also found that certain issues motivate voters more than others: "health care, poverty and education are the top motivators for political engagement." In the 2016 presidential election, 60% of the eligible voting population vast a vote; this year, a staggering 47.5% participated in the midterms, compared to 37% in 2014 and 41% in 2010, the years of other midterm elections. Start the discussion over on our Facebook page, and let us know about civic engagement in your town, state, or country! One suggestion to make voting easier, particularly for working people, is making Election Day a national holiday. We're familiar with how voting works in the U.S.—when we vote, how we vote, who we vote for—but do you know what voting is like in other countries around the world? One way to get more people to turn out is to take away the "rush hours" that occur when Election Day is a typical work day, and many people can only vote early in the morning before leaving for work or at the end of the day when returning home. Pro 2 Making Election Day a national holiday would turn voting into a celebration of democracy. The CultureReady team will review your submission, contact you to confirm or clarify any details if needed, and publish your content on the site. Argentina has instated compulsory voting laws, but only sees about 76% voter turnout. President Donald Trump, in a rare moment of honesty, made that clear a few days ago, when. At the same time, our parties do not believe equally that more people voting is a good thing. Australia sees around 91%, and 94% in Singapore. Even among the nine weekday voting countries, South Korea’s and Israel’s voters take a day off work on the day of the election to ensure higher electoral participation. Election Day is a US State Holiday observed on several states on the first Tuesday after the … However, for the most part, most countries vote in person at the voting booth, and while countries may alter the length of election periods and the equipment used in voting from election to election, it still tends to have many of the same features. This would probably be resisted on the basis of cost. Have you ever had to turn in a project and take a test on the same day? There have been repeated proposals in the U.S. over the years to either move Election Day to the weekend or make it a federal holiday, on the grounds that doing so would boost turnout. In 2005, the American Bar Association looked at a few different methods of voting: in 1989 in Namibia, voters marked an X on ballots using ink on their fingers; in Bulgaria, rather than marking a ballot, voters pick from any number of sheets of paper representing specific political parties and puts it in a ballot box; and in Ireland, "they designate their top three candidates by numbering them 1, 2, and 3." A recent Pew Research Center poll found bipartisan majority support for the idea: 71% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents and 59% of Republicans and GOP … Making Election Day a federal holiday in the U.S. For starters, the United States is rather unique in that it schedules its election day on a weekday, let alone a Tuesday. First, it would give everyone the time and opportunity to vote. A petition on WhiteHouse.gov that seeks to make Election Day a national holiday is gaining traction and trying to ensure that everyone gets to vote. It will not be miraculous; some people, if we no longer have the constraints of the pandemic, will travel. The name change required at least 50% voter participation, and opponents to the name change advocated not voting at all rather than voting against the measure. Politics Maybe Making Election Day a National Holiday Wouldn’t Really Work Studies show increasing voter turnout—especially for working-class voters—is more complicated than … Have you experienced an election day in another country, or do you know how voting works in a place we haven't mentioned here? Alexandria, VA 22350-4000. While young people are generally less likely to vote, they are more motivated by the issue of freedom of speech than older generations. ATLANTA — For many Americans, voting on Election Day is a tradition, and some wonder why it’s not a national holiday. Vote photo cc 2008 Theresa Thomson via Flickr. We also know that countries that have marked their election days as federal events see higher voting turnouts than the United States. Why is … Ralph Northam signed into law a measure that, among other things, makes Election Day a state holiday in the commonwealth. Countries outpacing the U.S. include the U.K, Mexico and Canada. Others will still have to work. Last Tuesday was election day in the United States, and this year we voted in the midterm elections. Why? Because unlike other countries such as New Zealand and Germany who make Election Day a national holiday if it’s held on a weekday, the United States does not. According to the country's website detailing their "digital society," online voting has soared from 1.9% in 2005 to 30.5% in 2015. Making Election Day a national holiday would accelerate this vision — but the private sector can help make it a reality too, by giving both full-time and part-time employees paid time off to vote, and publicizing their commitments. [] Caravanas are joyful, noisy parades of cars festooned with flags and other decorations that stream through Puerto Rico’s streets ahead of an election and are credited with the island’s over 80% voter turnout.