Should We Have a National Holiday for Voting?

Declaring Election Day a national holiday might be the simplest and most effective way to increase voter turnout.

There are many reason why people do not vote, but the most common, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, is that they are too busy. For many people, taking off work or school to vote is simply not possible. Polling locations are typically close to home, which may be very far away from work. Working parents of school-aged children have even more obstacles in their schedules.

If Election Day were a holiday, more working people and students would have the opportunity to vote and to help others who lack transportation or need assistance in order to vote.

It Makes Sense

In 1845, having Election Day fall on Tuesday made sense. Congress made that choice for the same reason we should now make Election Day a National Holiday – to make it easier for more people to get to the polls. In 1845, Monday didn’t work because many voters travelled by buggy, and it could take days to get to the polls, forcing them to travel on Sunday, the day of worship. Wednesday was out because that was market day.

In today’s world, holding elections on a regular Tuesday screams indifference, if not disdain, for our right and responsibility to vote. We have President’s Day to honor our first President, and we celebrate it by holding furniture sales. Why not truly honor his legacy by celebrating and making room for our right to vote? We have Independence Day to celebrate the birth of our nation, but no day for the ongoing exercise of our hard-won liberties.

Half of our 10 Federal Holidays fall on Mondays because, in 1968, Congress decided that federal employees should have some three-day weekends. If we really want to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote and participate in governing our nation, then it’s time to demonstrate our commitment to honoring that right by designating Election Day as a national holiday.

Some states do have time off to vote laws. If you believe that you were illegally fired or penalized for taking time off to vote, contact AccidentAttorneys.org to be connected to an experienced employment attorney right away.