We don’t need a holiday to vote because that’s our duty to the country we call home.
As a citizen of a democratic country, it is an honor and privilege to exercise the right to vote and participate in the political affairs of the country. People shouldn’t have to be bribed with a holiday to vote.
According to a 2014 Associated Press-Gfk poll, about 75% of Americans polled said that voting was a “very important obligation,” but voter turnout numbers don’t support the claim.
Roughly 138 million Americans voted in the 2016 presidential election, only 61.4% of about
214 million people who were registered to vote, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
Meanwhile, countries like Sweden saw about 87% of eligible voters participate in the 2018 general election according to Statistics Sweden, a statistics research organization.
Voting at all levels, whether it’s national, state or local level, is not just a civic responsibility, but a way to show that we care about the future of our country.
The 21st century American tends to forget that the right to vote wasn’t always a right granted to everyone, but more so a privilege given to white male landowners.
In 1776, the right to vote was only granted to Caucasian, male landowners. White women couldn’t vote until 1920, Native Americans couldn’t vote until 1924 and Black people weren’t allowed to vote until 1965 according to the Constitutional Rights Foundation, an organization that educates youth about citizenship.
People fought to earn the right to vote which is why everyone should vote regardless if it’s a holiday or not.
So why is it that after all the struggles to gain the right to vote, people are taking it for granted? Only 61.4% of eligible voters actually voted in the 2016 presidential election, according to the U.S. Census Bureau website. The fact that some people don’t take the time to perform their most important duty is mind-boggling.
It’s disheartening when immigrants who came to America to live a life of freedom and have a say in government affairs sit out during elections. It’s especially important this year because the immigrant voter bloc is growing.
According to a Feb. 26 Pew Research Center article, more than 23 million U.S. immigrants will be able to vote in the 2020 presidential election. Naturalized citizens, people who belonged to other nationalities before becoming U.S. citizens, make up roughly 10% of the nation’s
overall electorate.
Naturalized citizens who came from countries ruled by corrupt governments and dictatorships know what it’s like to not live in a democracy. So they should want to be more active in politics.
The fact that President Trump is unwilling to agree to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the 2020 election should be enough to motivate all citizens to vote
this election year.
But even if it’s not, declaring Election Day a holiday is unnecessary because it is not a given that people will go out and vote. If a national holiday is declared, some people may decide to have a backyard barbeque or spend time with family and friends instead of spending time at their local polling place.
Election Day is already a holiday for state employees in more than a dozen states including Michigan, New York and Kentucky. But none of those states have a considerably high turnout compared to those where it isn’t a holiday.
In Michigan, voter turnout was relatively the same before and after state workers were given the day off. New York recorded only 57% voter turnout which was less than the national level by about 3% according to a 2018 report by the New York State Senate Democratic Policy Group. In Kentucky, the turnout represented 59.1% of the electorate, a short decline from 2012’s 59.7% turnout and 64% in the 2008 presidential election, according to a Feb. 21, 2017 article from WTVQ, a
ABC-affiliated television station in Lexington, Kentucky.
Declaring Election Day a holiday not only mocks democracy, but neglects the fact that national holidays does not cater to everyone.
America gives citizens the opportunity to voluntarily fulfill their civic responsibility and vote, so it is only fair that we keep our end of the bargain and vote even if Election Day is not a
national holiday.
