pros and cons of making election day a national holiday

[33], Henry Farber, PhD, Hughes-Rogers Professor of Economics at Princeton University, conducted an analysis of states that made Election Day a holiday for state employees. The entire voter suppression conspiracy being advanced by progressives is nonsense on its face. 1. But these days, Tuesdays are actually quite inconvenient for many Americans, particularly those who cant take time off work to cast their ballots a problem that disproportionately affects Black, Latino and lower-income voters. ", ProCon.org. Making Election Day a national holiday will increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote. Countries that have weekend or holiday elections do tend to have better turnout overall. [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. 2020, Virginia. Would you have to pay all levels of election workers holiday pay, which would make administering elections more expensive? Also, would a holiday mean limited public transit schedules, which might make it harder for some people to get to the polls? Managing Editor The US ranks 26th out of 32 for voter turnout for Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. Make Election Day a federal holiday. Should Election Day Be a Holiday? Here Are Some Pros While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Its a move that could de-politicize some of the election reform discussion, as some of the ideas could receivebipartisan support. 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. 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. 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 What America needs isnt more voters. Instead, lawmakers could simply move nearby Veterans Day to Election Day, emphasizing that voting is both a service to the country and a celebration of the rights and freedoms for which our servicemembers fight. Proper citation depends on your preferred or required style manual. The measure contains an election-reform bushelful of liberal chestnuts same-day voter registration, provisional ballots, poll worker recruitment and training. The U.S. ranks 26th out of 32 for voter among ], ProCon.org, "Should Election Day Be a National Holiday?,", ProCon.org, "Should Election Day Be a National Holiday? Dont give the nation a day off, but do a better job of giving voters options for getting involved. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? So far this year, hundreds of bills have been introduced that could have the effect of suppressing peoples right to vote. CON. Pew Research Center found 71 percent of Democrats and 59 percent of Republicans support that. Again, it is not clear that this is demonstrably true but it is a widespread perception. 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. Should Election Day Be a Holiday? - Morningside Center Partly cloudy skies. 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. In addition, those who wish to cast their ballots have ample opportunity to do so. In the 2016 presidential election, 14% of registered voters cited being too busy or having a conflicting schedule as the main reason they didnt cast their ballots, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data. Cheyna has interned with Michigan Radio and freelanced for WKAR public radio in Lansing. A handful of states have made election day a state holiday, including New York, Hawaii, Kentucky, and, in Apr. WDET is here to keep you informed onessential information, news and resources related to COVID-19. Election Day Should Be A Federal Holiday It would give people time to vote. Benson is dreaming big, and in doing so shes getting out in front of a lot of the conspiracy fueled calls for election reform from some Republicans. Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams, for example, says she lost the 2018 governors race as a victim of some ballot-blocking scheme. Useful for voters who are still indecisive. Last modified on April 13, 2020. 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. Source: Matthew Haag, "Mitch McConnell Calls Push to Make Election Day a Holiday a Democratic Power Grab," nytimes.com, Jan. 31, 2019, Differences in Conservative and Liberal Brains, The Electoral College: Top 3 Pros and Cons, Coronavirus: Timeline of Comments by Trump and Biden with Context')" href="https://www.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=007115">, Election Day National Holiday: Top 3 Pros and Cons, 2008 Presidential Election (archived 1/19/09), 2012 Presidential Election (archived 1/22/13), 2016 Presidential Election (archived 1/21/17), College Football Playoffs (archived 9/18/12), Insider Trading by Congress (archived 4/18/12). Effectiveness depends on the region. Think of things such as voter ID laws, lowering the voting age, and abolishing the Electoral College. 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 elections. Tuesday was chosen because it was most convenient for farmers traveling by horse and buggy at the time. Count me out. [8], In the 2016 presidential election, 55.7% of the American voting-age population cast a ballot. [1] Singapore has election day as a federal holiday, and in 2015 this resulted in a voter turnout of 93.6%. Low 38F. We get about 20-25% of our absentee ballots come in on Election 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). @TinaLBarton gave me some good insight that caused me to reconsider my bill that would have done just that. However, rules, dates and deadlines vary by state, which can be confusing to some voters. To combat these efforts, lawmakers nationally have introduced HR1 (the John Lewis Act) and S1, which would enact a number of important provisions: improve ballot access, create nonpartisan redistricting commissions to reduce gerrymandering, provide automatic voter registration when people turn 18, allow at least 15 days of early voting,mandate that presidential candidates disclosure their federal tax returns, and require greater disclosure of so-called dark money campaign contributions. [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. Pros & Cons Of Election Campaigns ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. High turnout means that people are successfully exercising their rights-a good in itselfbut it also ensures the continuing health of majority rule. Yes, its true Americas voting age is lower than some other developed countries. It is very, very hard to change core American traditions.. (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. All rights reserved. Bartons concerns about the possible unintended consequences of an Election Day holiday haveled a Democratic sponsor of legislation to create the holiday to reconsider her bill. The U.S. ranks 26th out of 32 for voter among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. Freedom to Vote Act 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). Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson wants to make Election Day a state holiday, but some worry about unintended consequences. In 2018, Pew Research found that 65% of voters surveyed supported Election Day being a national holiday. [16]. Should Election Day Be a National Holiday? | ProCon.org And these two nuggets, stashed inside Section 1903. Not me. our colleagues on the other side, on their campaigns.. It does not force voters to elect any one candidate and therefore, we believe, it survives constitutional muster. People who work long shifts, juggle multiple jobs, Okun's son is mentioned in this [24] Holidays usually mean more work hours for retail workers, because stores run promotions and sales. The bill had zero co-sponsors and went 3. Roughly the same odds as Mitch McConnell doing hot yoga with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Election Day Holiday., For purposes of any law relating to Federal employment, the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November in 2020 and each even-numbered year thereafter shall be treated in the same manner as a legal public holiday described in section 6103 of title 5, United States Code., It is the sense of Congress that private employers in the United States should give their employees a day off on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November in 2020 and each even-numbered year thereafter to enable the employees to cast votes in the elections held on that day., Leave it to a House bill-writer to use 98 words when eight will suffice: Were giving you the day off to vote.. That year, just over 36% of eligible voters showed up. Political science is the scientific study of politics. Privacy Policy. 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? Allow people to register to vote AND vote on the same day. A survey showed U.S. adults would rather have a federal holiday on Election Day than on Christmas Eve, the Friday after Thanksgiving, or St. Patricks Day. Advertisement. The proposal to make Election Day a federal holiday is just one of a number of steps that could be taken to improve low turnout for U.S. elections. Have you looked at who theyre voting for? Should the Voting Age Be Lowered to 16? [17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. North Korea. What are the pros and cons of making Election Day a national 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. In Australia, where voting is mandatory, elections are celebrated with parties and barbecues, resulting in turnout rates around 90 percent. If you make election day a federal holiday, youll 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 wont have child care because the schools will be closed, Suzanne Lucas, who previously worked in human resources, wrote in a piece for Inc.com. Here are five reasons why Election Day should be a national holiday. . Citizens have a right to vote. 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. 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. 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. [8][15] A holiday for elections sidesteps the issue of a weekend election, which could conflict with religious obligations. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 - 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. He previously reported on the Michigan Legislature for the Michigan Public Radio Network. (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. Instead of having the names spelled out, voters would pick between Oje Diben and Noladd Rumpt.. But other solutions would more reliably increase turnout. We get about 20-25% of our absentee ballots come in on Election Day, says Barton. Devin Gordon is a Tahlequah business owner. Incidentally, Australia routinely reaches more than 90 percent voter turnout, compared to the United States, where average voter turnout in presidential elections since 1965 has been only 54%. But would such a change turn out the voters Democrats covet most? 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 very high turnout via universal voting and time off for voting. 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. Its one of many sweeping changes she would like to see in stateelection law. 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.

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