countries where election day is a national holiday

In many other democracies around the world, national elections are held on the weekend or are a federal holiday. Britain, after all, developed its political institutions pretty gradually, so there was no real "Bastille Day" moment that defines the modern nation. An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation.Many countries commemorate their independence from a colonial empire.. Not all countries mark independence as a national holiday. Reformers will be far more successful adding a few days or options or opportunities than trying to undo Election Day.. Modern life operates around the clock. So when faced with choices like having to take unpaid time off work to vote, waking at the wee hours of the morning to vote so that they're not late to work, standing in hours-long lines with everyone else who waited until after the workday to cast their ballot, or simply not voting at all, many choose the latter. This map, inspired by a Reddit thread with a similar map, shows the national days of the world's countries. The US ranks 26th out of 32 for voter turnout among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. While these provisions represent major steps in the right direction, they are not enough. Election Day in the United States of America is the Tuesday following the first Monday in November. Japan formally celebrates the anniversary of an ancient mythical emperor, although the holiday is mostly ignored today, due in part to its connections with Japan's ugly imperial history. Sundays are the most common day for elections, but this is less true in the Anglosphere; Saturdays are used in New Zealand and Australia, and weekdays for the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. Because the impact of a federal holiday is far-reaching, many states and workplaces would likely follow suit. 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. Countries outpacing the U.S. include the U.K, Mexico and Canada. It is the day when popular ballots are held to select public officials. Currently, 22 countries around the world have mandatory voting, and ten of those countries enforce the policy, including Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Peru, and Switzerland. NOW WATCH: Arianna Huffingtons advice to Hillary Clinton, the majority of US states have voter leave laws, You can take time off from work to vote in 30 states here's the full list, voted during the 2016 presidential election, experts say such a scheme is unlikely to fly in the US, The evolution of American voting rights in 242 years shows how far we've come and how far we still have to go, In an interview with President Barack Obama in 2016. In Estonia, a national ID card (required for every citizen in the country) can be used to vote remotely. Consider, for example, the national days of France and Germany: the former marks the French revolution, in 1789, and the latter marks the German reunification in 1990. Think about it. Could that ever happen in the U.S.? Whether election day in the United States should be made a national holiday is debated. 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. February 26, 2023, 5:06 AM. Four more states only provide time off for biennial, even-year elections: Delaware, Louisiana, Michigan and New Hampshire. Presidential and semipresidential systems, Constituencies: districting and apportionment. 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those . While the majority of US states have voter leave laws that guarantee certain employees a modicum of time off to vote, no federal law currently mandates that employees get time off to cast their ballots. A National Day is a date for a country to celebrate its nationhood. 2020, Virginia. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. By law, polling day is a public holiday if it falls on a weekday. Mr. CHRISTENSEN: One of the biggest countries that uses compulsory voting is Australia. As you can see, the world is mostly divided between countries that celebrate a national independence day and countries that celebrate a national unification or revolution day. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. So, since this effort does not receive bipartisan support, it is difficult to enact.. The number of early votes cast before Election Day 2020, as of Nov. 1, neared the 100 million mark according to data aggregated by the U.S. Elections Project, which is close to the complete voter . It's amazing how much of the map is green, indicating countries that celebrate a national independence day every year. Some countries, including Belgium and Turkey, see such high voter turnout mainly because of their compulsory voting laws. [15] Israel and South Korea make national elections a holiday to avoid economic hardship for voters. 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. There's nothing that would stop voters here from treating a Democracy Day like just another day off.". 2. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? Establishing Election Day as a holiday, taken together with the pending federal voting rights reforms, would go a long way towards stabilizing democracy and ensuring basic democratic rights. Such low voter turnout rates in the United States have various reasons why many Americans decide not to vote, but one main reason is not giving them time to vote and cast their ballots. After all, what do our veterans fight for, if not for democracy itself? As for Denmark, it has a national liberation day and some people celebrate international worker's day, but neither is a public holiday. Should the United States Use the Electoral College in Presidential Elections? 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. But some election analysts told CBS News that making Election Day a holiday is not a way to make voting easier. In some of these countries, voting is compulsory, and in most of them, Election Day is a 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, Defense Language and National Security Education Office. "If I had my way, and I think it is really important, every . The United States has held federal elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years since 1845. [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. First Sunday of July until 2018. So far this year, hundreds of bills have been introduced that could have the effect of suppressing peoples right to vote. "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. Other countries take heroic efforts to ensure that people can vote if they desire. By comparison,. The U.S. is one of only nine member nations that have weekday voting. Concentrating voters into a single day risks congesting polling places, even more so than some already are. 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. In the 2016 election, only 56% of voting-age Americans cast their ballots. 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. Hailey said the country needs a "cultural shift" to prioritize voting. The types of workers least likely to reap the benefits of a federal holiday are those who already struggle to vote, Shineman noted. At least 10 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Indonesia fuel depot fire kills 18; more than a dozen missing, Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed last month, doctor says, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Defense lawyers in Idaho killings case want gag order kept, Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife and son. Consider the potential benefits and difficulties of changing election day. Disclaimer: Dates and Events correct at time of printing but may change without our knowledge. 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. 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. 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. Lists national days around the world by country or date. This page was last edited on 1 February 2023, at 18:43. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? In Sweden, for example, 83% of registered voters participated in the 2014 national . Elections to the Bundestag may be held on another public holiday. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, 2020 North Macedonian parliamentary election, "THE ELECTORAL CODE OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says, Battleground Tracker: Tight race in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Lindsey Graham appears before Georgia grand jury, House Jan. 6 committee is having conversations with Justice Department, Georgia grand jury investigating Trump wants testimony from Giuliani, Graham, Trump election interference grand jury to hear from Raffensperger, DHS IG says Wolf changed intel report on Russian interference in 2020. Consider this: Even if Election Day were moved to a weekend or turned into a national holiday, retail and service industry employees would still need to work. Tuesday is Election Day, but only in some parts of the country will voters get the day off to cast their ballots. American election laws have been reformed before with minimal impact on voter turnout which remains low compared to other democracies around the world. Twenty-seven of the 36 member countries, hold their elections on the weekend. Experts told CBS News that it's no coincidence this is occurring in a year when Americans have more time and more ways to vote than ever before. 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. Rather than make it a national holiday where inevitably people will still have to work, change election day to election week. 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. 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. However, the issues vary among different demographic groups. The correct answer is B. Advertisement Advertisement marberman marberman It can fall on or between November 2 and November 8. "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. Senator Bernie Sanders has certainly tried heintroducedthe "Democracy Day Act" in 2018, which proposed making Election Day a federal holiday. 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. [8], Among registered voters in the 2016 US presidential election, being too busy or having a conflicting schedule was the third-highest reason cited for not voting, accounting for 14% of registered voters who did not cast a vote (about 2.7 million people). 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. Should the United States use the Electoral College in presidential elections? Traditionally elections are held over two days, starting on a Friday afternoon and ending the following Saturday afternoon. This is partially due to the influence of Protestantism, which historically set restrictions on activities other than church-going during the Sabbath (usually considered as falling on a Sunday). Australia sees around 91%, and 94% in Singapore. The COVID-19 pandemic convinced. Incidentally, Australia routinely reaches more than 90. 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. "I'm not a fan," said Eddie Perez, an election administration and election technology expert at the Open Source Election Technology (OSET) Institute. While young people are generally less likely to vote, they are more motivated by the issue of freedom of speech than older generations. There is no fixed election day for general elections, although since 1986 every general election has been held on Sunday. Countries that have weekend or holiday elections do tend to have better turnout overall. That's true, although the separate "National Day of Commemoration" occurs on the anniversary of the truce ending the Irish war of independence. "And we actually have more options than ever before.". The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a group that includes 36 countries. States such as Georgia and Iowa already have passed restrictive measures and many others appear poised to do the same thing. In Australia, all citizens of age to vote are required, and if they fail to do so, they face fines. Sweden came second with 82.6%. Indigenous Peoples Day is a local and state holiday in some parts of the country usually held on Columbus Day that celebrates the cultures of Native Americans. Think of things such as voter ID laws, lowering the voting age, and abolishing the Electoral College. Countries which permit absentee ballots, early ballots or postal votes to be cast by mail before the election avoid the problem altogether by enabling voters to vote on a day that is more convenient to them. [31] Same-day registration boosts turnout by 5%, and universal implementation of it would have added as many as 4.8 million voters in the 2016 election, according to Danielle Root, JD, and Liz Kennedy, JD, from the Center for American Progress. All rights reserved. 3. [31]. Like Perez, Becker thinks giving voters more time and opportunity to vote is the best approach. [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. Change often comes slowly, subtly. Russia's national holiday only goes back to 1992, when the Russian Federation was founded. TOP QUESTION There is a simple and straightforward solution: make Election Day a national holiday so that people have the time and freedom to vote without taking time off from work. [14], Pew Research Center found that 71% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans support making Election Day a federal holiday. 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. "Election day should be a national holiday" is a claim of policy because we are discussing a policy which searches a solution for the presented argument. [3] In 1800, 83% of the American labor force was agrarian, but today only 11% of total US employment is agriculture-related. 0:00. Proponents say teens are knowledgeable enough to vote. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives. [17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. Common reasons for a certain day are the date on which a state or country achieved its independence, or the date of the country's patron saint day. 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. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. The Freedom to Vote Act would make Election Day a national holiday. [1] 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. Most others are not so recent, but still not so old: Taiwan's, for example, goes back to a 1911 uprising. procon@eb.com, 2022 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Will the party listen to them on the issues? ", ProCon.org. Of the nonvoters surveyed by the US Census Bureau about the 2008 presidential election, the 2012 presidential election, and numerous other elections, the most commonly cited reason for not voting was being too busy or having conflicting work schedules. [8], In the 2016 presidential election, 55.7% of the American voting-age population cast a ballot. Most National Days are fixed, exceptions to this are shown below. 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. However, for the most part, most countries vote in person at the voting booth, and while countries may alter the length of election periods andthe equipment used in voting from election to election, it still tends to have many of the same features. If so, how? Election Day is the day for general elections of public officials in the U.S. Portugal celebrates the 1580 death of celebrated national poet Luis de Camoes, Spain celebrates Columbus Day (yes, the holiday is a little controversial there as well, although not as much as in the U.S.), the Netherlands celebrates the queen's birthday but it still use her mother's birthday for the date and, in Greenland, the celebrate the longest day of the year. 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. Examine this opinion article from Evil HR Lady Suzanne Lucas on why election day should not be a national holiday. The outliers are a tiny minority, and only two countries have no formal national day at all. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The earliest possible date that Election Day can fall on is November 2nd, and the latest possible date is November 8th. In many countries, general elections are always held on a Saturday or Sunday, to enable as many voters as possible to participate; while in other countries elections are always held on a weekday.However, some countries, or regions within a country, which hold elections on a weekday declare election day a public holiday. Without this simple step toward turning out as many Americans as possible to vote, any reform will be incomplete. 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. 11 July (Tuesday): Celebration of the Golden Spurs (Day of the Flemish Community) - celebrates the victory of the count of Flanders and the borough militia against the king of France outside Courtrai. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The U.S. House of Representatives just passed H.R. For rest of the festival holidays the declaration . 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! Executive director and founder of the Center for Election Innovation & Research David Becker argues that increasing turnout is a nuanced problem that can't be fixed by declaring a holiday. For example, in Ecuador, only literate citizens between 18 and 65 are required to vote; those over 65 or who are not literateare not required. 26K views, 1.2K likes, 65 loves, 454 comments, 23 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Citizen TV Kenya: #FridayNight 1. by country by date "[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. It is set by statute as "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November.". Regional Belgian public holidays during 2023. For more on the debate about making election day a national holiday, visit ProCon.org. Maybe that could give us some hint as to the frequent foreign sensitivities and accusations, right or wrong, about Western foreign policy echoing old colonial practices. First Sunday of October. These numbers also may be indicative of higher turnout for major elections, but may not reflect engagement in local or regional elections. Meanwhile, in Macedonia this past September, voters chose to stay away from the polls because of the proposed name change for the country. 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. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. Whether election day should be made a national holiday is debated. Over the course of three days, Estonians could vote by placing their state-issued ID cards (which have an electronic chip . But while experts say such a scheme is unlikely to fly in the US, making it easier for people to vote would appear to be a step in the right direction. 2. Topics Explainers Politics US Evergreen US Explainers YOU MIGHT LIKE It would take an act of Congress to make Election Day a national holiday, and there is currently a bill proposing to designate "Democracy Day" as a national election holiday before a special committee. Making Election Day a holiday would not necessarily involve adding a new holiday, which employers might resistparticularly following the addition of Juneteenth as a national holiday last week. Election dates are determined by the General Elections Commission (Indonesian: Typically on a Friday, but precise date set by, Municipal, provincial, and regional elections take place on a Sunday, as do elections for the. 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 expense of the other party, the GOP, said Vincent Hutchings, a University of Michigan political science professor. Here is the relevant passage from Acts 28: Explain your answers. So, workers having a day off to vote wouldn't be a disruption to the economy, or anything a citizen of our country could deny would be worthwhile and smart thing to do. Take, for example, Bhutan, which every celebrates the anniversary of Ugyen Wangchuck's 1907 election as the nation's first hereditary king (yes, you read that correctly), but not its 1949 independence. However, some countries, or regions within a country, which hold elections on a weekday declare election day a public holiday. Litigation pending before the Supreme Court this term in Brnovich v. DNC, however, threatens to undermine this rule. Even people youd expect to know, like politicians, have been stumped by this very question. Making the presidential election a national holiday is another way to get people to the polls. Would making Election Day a federal holiday increase voter turnout and celebrate democracy? Yet, few of us, especially those who have worked on Capitol Hill, harbor . Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. [18][19], Federal law doesnt require private employers to give employees paid federal holidays. Countries like Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Mexico also showed high voter turnout rates by having holidays. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. President Obama likes the idea of changing the way or the day Americans vote. WASHINGTON, June 24 (Reuters) - Election Day should be a holiday for workers in the United States, President Joe Biden said on Thursday. And even if it were a federal holiday, that wouldn't ensure that all voting-age Americans would have the day off. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. ProCon/Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. So, focusing voting efforts to one day doesn't do enough to accommodate everyone, Becker argues. Virginia joined these states in April this year. As a holiday, that means several millions of people would have the day off from work or school, making it way . Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. Again, it is not clear that this is demonstrably true but it is a widespread perception. 27 September (Wednesday): Day of the French-speaking Community - commemorates the victory of the patriots against the Dutch army in Brussels in 1830. [28][29], Patagonia, an outdoor clothing retailer, paused operation on Nov. 6, 2018 so that all employees could vote. What other improvements could be made to voting and Election Day? Corrections? A large Democratic voting rights bill that would have made Election Day a national holiday collapsed in the Senate this year when two senators refused to join their own party in changing. 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. Exact date set by the. Not all of these marked the end of colonialism (for example, Austria's signifies the withdrawal of foreign militaries after World War II and the declaration of neutrality) but the vast majority do. Approximately two million people who work for the federal government would be given a paid day off, and private companies might follow suit. Opponents say kids arent mature enough to vote. 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. Of these countries, 27 hold their national elections on a weekend. 26 th January (Republic Day), 15 th August (Independence Day) and 2 nd October (Gandhi Jayanti). of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents and 59% of Republicans and GOP leaners said they would support making Election Day a national holiday. He says it's more important to spread voting out over a period of days and methods. Should Election Day be a national 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. He concluded that having an election holiday, by itself, is not an effective strategy to increase voter turnout. [34], Automatic voter registration, by contrast, could register an additional 22 million people and create 7.9 million new voters nationwide within a year. Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard 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. With those options early in-person voting and more voter awareness on how to vote by mail voter turnout appears to be trending upward. ", Obama: "Absolutely. That too is a reminder as to how new many of the ideas from that century, such as full enfranchisement and national self-determination, really are.

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