The United States of America portrays itself as the land of opportunity, freedom, and equality; however, in practice, when it comes to elections this ideal encounters various obstacles. Voting is an essential right in a democratic nation, yet many Americans don't have easy access to it. The ACLU writes that in recent years, more than 400 anti-voter bills have been introduced in 48 states making voting often inaccessible. Putting in place a national election holiday is crucial to ensure that all Americans have access to voting and a chance to participate in the democratic process. According to the Institute for Youth Policy website, a holiday for elections has proven to result in higher voter turnout in countries like Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Mexico. This new implementation would have very important ramifications for the United States in terms of voter turnout and the culture of elections in the United States.
According to Congresswoman Anna Eshoo's campaign, the United States consistently has lower voter turnout rates than many other democratic countries. The U.S. ranks 23rd out of 38 member countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) where countries with market-based economies collaborate to create economic growth. 26 percent of Americans who did not cast a vote said they were “too busy because of obligations such as work or school.” Socioeconomic factors such as lack of transportation, strict work schedules, or accessibility of polling places are massive contributors to America's low voter turnout. Every American must be able to conveniently cast their vote, and a national holiday is a good first step in that process.
Many American voters appear to be unmotivated to vote in elections. According to the Pew Research Center, a record-high 66 percent of Americans voted in the 2020 presidential election. Although this is a great improvement, a third of Americans are still not actively contributing to the democratic process. A national election holiday would give citizens a time in which voting is the primary focus. For a democracy to work, its participants must have a voice and be heard. Creating a national holiday would be a pro-democratic act ensuring that the United States represents all its citizens, while its citizens contribute to it.
Voting by mail is an alternative to in-person voting that has risen in popularity, according to Shirley N. Weber California secretary of state website voting by mail has increased by about 40 percent from 2010 to 2022. This alternative allows voters to save time and avoid transportation limitations. Voting by mail has become a divisive topic after Donald Trump's continuous claims that mail-in ballots could lead to widespread voter fraud. In light of this, in-person voting becomes more appealing and appears to be a more reliable and safe option. It is important to ensure that Americans feel they are securely represented. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 28 states offer no-excuse absentee or mail ballots; eight states have elections that are entirely mail-based, and the remaining require a voter to provide an excuse to qualify. Although voting by mail or absentee voting is a useful alternative, it is not available to all American citizens. Therefore, a national holiday is essential to ensuring comprehensive voting access.
A national holiday on election day dedicated to ensuring that as many Americans as possible vote and can vote is an important step forward in our democratic process. Many other problems do need to be addressed; this is one of the best and easiest ways to begin to create needed change, opening the way for many more reforms. From this, the contributions and perspectives of many will be brought to life. To implement such change, it is important that voters voice concern for the low voter turnout by creating or signing petitions and other forms of advocacy to urge politicians to take action and implement laws that make voting accessible to all eligible American citizens.