Voter suppression is one of the most pressing issues facing American democracy today. Many scholars worry we are living through a second coming of Jim Crow as across the nation elected officials are making it harder for people to cast their vote, particularly people of color. America is a nation that was founded upon principles of democracy and liberty, yet many Americans have seen their rights to these two basic pillars of our national creed infringed upon by politicians who favor their own election over our binding principles of democracy. This alarming trend has been a central issue in the American polity since before I was able to cast my first vote in 2018, and yet voter suppression tactics continue to expand and adapt. A true democracy is one where every citizen has equal right and opportunity to cast a vote and be fairly represented in government. As of late, America has failed to live up to its founding principles and is failing all of its citizens by subjugating even some of the populous to egregious voter suppression tactics. Voters are being targeted in many different ways and a plethora of activist groups have answered the call to defend one of our most sacred rights. There is one battle in this war against voter suppression that would affect more voters than any state’s election suppression efforts – enacting a federal election day holiday.
It is no secret that voters’ right to uninfringed access to the ballot box has been under siege in recent years, but even those of us who acknowledge this fact may not know how these efforts are targeting voters across the nation. Voter suppression has taken many forms within the United States. Each tactic may be utilized to target a certain type of voter. Targeting may include racial minorities, voters of a lower socioeconomic standing, voters of the party not in power, voters who work long hours, uneducated voters, etc. Within these groups are voters one could typically profile as both Republican or Democrat, but a deeper dive into how these tactics are employed shows that, in recent years, they have primarily been put in place by Republican law makers to stifle the growing Democratic majority. This trend makes sense if one looks at the changing demographics across the United States. A party who has only won the national popular vote in a presidential election once since 2000 can’t maintain democratically elected majorities without making it harder for some on the other side of the aisle to vote. If America were a nation born out of a struggle to protect one’s right to game the system and maintain a majority by any means, the Republican effort would be laudable. America, however, was not founded on these principles and democracy does not promote minority rule. For now, the easiest path to securing victory as a minority party is through strategic victories at the state level that allow for manipulation of voting laws in order to enable national victory.
Voter suppression is nothing new in the United States and the Republican Party is not the first political party to utilize it for their personal gain. The electoral system in the United States is built in such a way that the minority party has the tools to protect their power and maintain some control. This is not an inherently bad thing, but when it jeopardizes the will of the many in favor of the will of the few democracy is in peril. As mentioned before, there are numerous groups fighting for more equitable voting rights across the nation. Groups such as Fair Fight, the ACLU, Democracy Works, and Common Cause, among others, are fighting these restrictions in court almost every day. The activism these groups display is a vital piece of the struggle against voter suppression, and more can be done. One proposal that has gained steam in recent years is to federally mandate Election Day as a national holiday. While this mandate would not fix the legislation that has been passed in states across the country, it would provide a great deal of access to voting that many do not enjoy. Why not create more access to the polls while fighting against new barriers?
The enactment of a federal holiday on election day has been proven to increase turnout in countries across the world, leading to more representative and democratic elections. Voting typically takes place on a workday and many Americans can’t afford to take a day off of work to vote. In those states where some amount of time off is required by law, this time may still not be enough as long lines have become an epidemic, especially in battleground states. Not only would this holiday give working Americans the necessary time to go cast their vote, it would allow for more people to volunteer as elections workers, expediating voting while getting more citizens involved in the civic process. An election holiday would also relieve some of the poisonous partisanship from the process. If election day became a holiday, a celebration of democracy and our civic duty, perhaps voters would more easily grasp the importance of their vote and the American experiment in democracy. Communities will be brought together as they exercise their sacred right to vote and this collective action will only further the calls against unfair voting laws. If election day is a day to be marked on the calendar and celebrated, no one will want to miss out. We must bring the joy back to voting and the pride back to American democracy. Without these, it will be easier than ever to disrupt and infringe upon this democracy.
Tanner – I really enjoyed reading your post! I agree that voter suppression is a very real problem. From my own experience as a white, middle class American, it can be easier to write off voter suppression – how could something so undemocratic take place in our democracy? However, I think it is super important to acknowledge the blatant racism and classism within the American electoral system.
Your post reminded me of the irony behind the contesting of the 2020 election by Trump and his congressional allies. Despite multiple investigations into the election that all concluded the absence of election fraud, Trump refused to accept defeat in a system that favors the majority of his voters. Much like voter suppression, controversy over an election that was thoroughly investigated and deemed fair is an extension of the populist narrative.
I also appreciated your suggestion to enact a federal holiday on Election Day. What may seem like a day off to those privileged enough to not fall victim of voter suppression, may actually be a huge step in making the U.S. electoral system much more accessible to those whose votes are often marginalized. I think holding a federal holiday on Election Day is a great method to mobilize voters and decrease voter suppression.
Thanks for sharing Tanner!
The idea to make election day a national holiday is compelling. I think I would endorse it. But there has to be said that there has to be done more than that.
I can imagine that making election day a national holiday will disadvantage workers which do not have a high income. These people often have multiple jobs. Federal law does not oblige private companies to give their employees paid federal holidays. In consequence, the people who might not be able to go to the ballot boxes are the ones which already have a dis-advantaged position in the society. It is probable that with the proposed measure the increase in people going to vote is relatively higher among the upper middle class.
The voting law of the US has, in my opinion, potential for improvement on several as-pects. There are other measures which would increase voter turnout more reliably. Improve-ments which would address the convenience of going to vote may be things like automatic vot-er registration or restoring voting rights to former felons. I am sure there are more options than these two.
From a cultural aspect it makes sense to declare voting day as a national holiday. The message would be as appropriate as strong: Democracy is an achievement and has to be cel-ebrated. Moreover, it would also boost the awareness for that elections can’t be taken for granted. It is a privilege which definitely deserves some more recognition.
In my opinion, the circumstance that only Republicans want to restrict voting laws shows the anti-democratic tendencies which exist in this party. On the other hand, they do not break the law. The US has still institutions which are able to protect voting rights (https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/supreme-court-clearly-wont-protect-voting-rights-congress-can). I can imagine that the US judiciary soon has to prove its functionality.
The idea to make election day a national holiday is compelling. I think I would endorse it. But there has to be said that there has to be done more than that.
I can imagine that making election day a national holiday will disadvantage workers which do not have a high income. These people often have multiple jobs. Federal law does not oblige private companies to give their employees paid federal holidays. In consequence, the people who might not be able to go to the ballot boxes are the ones which already have a dis-advantaged position in the society. It is probable that with the proposed measure the increase in people going to vote is relatively higher among the upper middle class.
The voting law of the US has, in my opinion, potential for improvement on several aspects. There are other measures which would increase voter turnout more reliably. Improvements which address the convenience or accessibilty of voting may be things like automatic voter registration or restoring voting rights to former felons. I am sure there are more options than these two.
From a cultural aspect it makes sense to declare voting day as a national holiday. The message would be as appropriate as strong: Democracy is an achievement and has to be celebrated. Moreover, it would also boost the awareness for that elections can’t be taken for granted. It is a privilege which definitely deserves some more recognition.
In my opinion, the circumstance that only Republicans want to restrict voting laws shows the anti-democratic tendencies which exist in this party. On the other hand, they do not break the law. The US has still institutions which are able to protect voting rights (https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/supreme-court-clearly-wont-protect-voting-rights-congress-can). I can imagine that the US judiciary soon has to prove its functionality in a case which deals with this topic.
Hey Tanner,
I loved reading your article. I definitely agree- it is totally time to make election day a federal holiday. If our country wants us to engage in our civic duties and vote, we should not be penalized for doing so. Some people cannot afford to take a day off of work that they are scheduled for, and therefore cannot leave to go vote. Now the population of lower and working-class people will be underrepresented at the polls. Or, people who are on the fence about voting and might not vote of their own accord might go vote if it were a federal holiday because they simply have nothing better to do. Regardless of the reason, we should be doing everything we can to increase voter turnout, especially if it’s as simple as creating a federal holiday.
It’s definitely concerning, as you said, that there are politicians who would rather swing votes in their favor at the cost of a legitimate election. Voter suppression, reminiscent of Jim Crow, is unacceptable anywhere, much less in a country that revolves around the concept of freedom. Your point about how this effort is mainly coming from the right side of the aisle is interesting. I agree, it demonstrates that this is truly about winning more elections with a partisan motive, not about making “elections more secure” as the people perpetuating these voter suppression laws tend to put it. Unfortunately, I believe that they truly believe themselves when they say that, which makes this all the more dangerous. There is a perceived danger of voter fraud that is largely baseless. However, this is one of the few solutions I can think of that drastically increases voter accessibility without feasibly making it easier to commit voter fraud. Therefore, hopefully, both sides of the aisle can come together to make this holiday a reality.
Hey Tanner, I really liked how you incorporated some stats into your post as well as your personal opinion. I agree that making Election Day a national holiday seems patriotic and could boost voter turnout as well as general civic duty. I think one of the biggest issues facing Americans right now is that they don’t feel like their vote matters at all, and that could be largely due to the establishment of the electoral college. While the implementation of a federal holiday seems innocent enough, considering how certain people responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, I wonder if they would consider a federal holiday just for voting as an “infringement” of first amendment rights. Obviously, no one would be forced to vote if a holiday were created, but uneducated people are unpredictable in that way. On the other hand, I do think making a federal holiday could possibly shine light on some of the existing voter suppression issues that you mentioned such as lack of identification, working long hours, homelessness, ect. If citizens felt as if voting was important enough to make it a holiday, then I think it would become more obvious who was present and who was not at the ballot box. Of course, the crux of the issue is whether or not policy makers deem certain people worthy enough of having a vote. On the basis of our Constitution, it is quite apparent that everyone is entitled to a vote regardless of race, financial standing, or any other status. Therefore: yeah! It’s a great idea to make a holiday even if it is just one small step towards solving a much bigger problem.
This was a great post, Tanner! I’ve been really interested in voter suppression in recent years as it has become a widely discussed topic and as I have become more involved in politics, so I was really excited to read what you had to say. I agree that it seems antithetical to American ideals for anyone to be hindered in their right to vote, and I think that making election day a federal holiday would definitely help this issue. I also liked what you said about some people facing obstacles to voting is a problem for all Americans, and something everyone should be concerned about. I hadn’t realized that the Republican Party has not won a national popular vote since 2000, and I agree that this is a really interesting potential motivator for trying to prevent people from voting for their opposition. The statistics of increased voter turnout in countries who have election day as a federal holiday is also fascinating, and I wonder if these statistics would help to motivate some who do not support the day becoming a holiday. Although I have been lucky enough not to experience long lines waiting to vote, I’ve talked to people who have waited for hours, and this could be extremely discouraging for someone who may be on the fence about voting in the first place. I like what you said about making election day a federal holiday helping to emphasize the importance of voting as I hadn’t thought about that, but I do think it could show people the importance of participating in the democratic process. Partisanship has definitely seemed to decrease people’s trust in democracy and the federal government as a whole, and restoring trust back to this institution is essential. I think you made a great point, and I agree that election day should become a federal holiday!
Tanner, I really enjoyed reading your blog post. Personally, your argument to make election day a federal holiday definitely seems like a good idea. As these other comments have mentioned, it seems that this would work best in addition to other measures meant to alleviate the financial burdens imposed on those who may be in lower socioeconomic classes. The 2020 election saw many increased measures by private companies meant to aid those who’d otherwise have a difficult time voting. Uber and Lyft, for instance, were giving free rides for those going to voting stations. In addition, more than 1,850 private companies, like Walmart and Patagonia, gave employees paid-time off to vote on election day. I don’t think it’s feasible to mandate this type of benefit onto companies, but I think the government should create incentives for companies to participate in these behaviors, and fund these measures when they can. As Ashley also mentioned, I think the significance that making election day a holiday would symbolically have on the people is very beneficial. A democracy can only work as long as the most people who can vote do. A culture that values their democracy so highly that it makes it a federal holiday, encourages citizens to act, since what else would they be doing on a holiday. In order for the US to remain a successful democracy, it’s important that these electoral issues and concerns of voter suppression are addressed directly. Increased aid and measures like you proposed definitely would assist in this process of reform.
As someone who supports the push for expansive reform in the United States’ voting process, I love this post! As one of the so-called leading democracies, it is surprising that election day is not a federal holiday in the U.S. I specifically like the point you made that it would encourage citizens to volunteer and get involved, strengthening our civic culture. If a more diverse group of people were to work the polls, it is likely that a more diverse group of people will vote. This goes back to your main point, that minorities are still discriminated against in the voting process. In ‘US Poll Workers Could Be Younger, More Diverse This Election Day,’ Dora Mekouar describes the typical poll worker as “an older white woman,” with most poll workers being over the age of 50. In the same article, Mekouar cites Lia Merivaki when discussing how people of a different demographic may be discriminated against, in the form of harsher scrutiny in terms of identification verification. While the voter may still be allowed to vote after confirming their identity, this creates a feeling of hostility and may deter minorities and people of different demographics (younger people or people of color) from voting. Civic culture should create a sense of pride and community among citizens and voters, not fear, anger, or division.
https://www.rewire.org/volunteer-election-poll-worker/
https://www.voanews.com/a/2020-usa-votes_us-poll-workers-could-be-younger-more-diverse-election-day/6197124.html#:~:text=Historically%2C%20the%20most%20common%20poll%20worker%20is%20an,voters%20and%20preventing%20ineligible%20people%20from%20casting%20ballots.
I agree that election day should be a federal holiday. Certainly, we have a turnout problem in our country and providing more people with an opportunity to participate could help. Additionally lower class voters who have to work multiple jobs and are living paycheck to paycheck stand the most to gain from electing officials who can pass legislation to help them, yet because election day is not a federal holiday it can be harder for them to vote. Especially considering how providing our most vulnerable citizens, who stand the most to gain from voting, with a holiday that can make it easier for them to vote, creating a federal holiday for elections is one of the most simple good policy solutions we have. However, the problem then becomes passing legislation that would create such a holiday. In our current Congress, we have seen both H.R. 1 and H.R. 4 fail to be passed. H.R. 1 had a provision that would have made election day a federal holiday. Like much of the Democrat’s agenda in the 117th Congress, the filibuster was used to block passage in the Senate. As you mentioned it is important for the minority party to have tools that can be used to protect their power, yet the filibuster is now being used as a tool to prevent us from protecting our democracy. To get a federal holiday passed for election day, I see two current options: Attempting to pass a bill that simply creates the holiday (not a comprehensive bill with other provisions such as H.R. 1) or removing the filibuster and passing a bill similar to H.R. 1, creating the holiday and passing other voting rights legislation at the same time. The first option, still might fail and be blocked by another filibuster from Senate Republicans. Yet the second option isn’t great either. It would significantly reduce minority party power in Congress, and in a midterm year when Republicans could likely take back control of both chambers of Congress. There wouldn’t be anything to stop these policies being reversed immediately by a new Congress, so overall it seems extremely unlikely that we will have a federal holiday for election day in the near future.
I agree with this fully. I experienced the negatives of the voting process during the 2020 primaries. While I was voting in downtown Atlanta during the early primary voting process, it still took 9 hours from start to finish. In a normal year, that’s an insane amount of time, but during the peak of COVID and the height of Georgia summer, it was dangerous. We could afford to wait the 9 hours, as we were just some 18-year-olds who were off school for summer with no other responsibilities, but for a working adult, a parent with children, etc, this was a blatant attempt at trying to discourage voters. I believe that election day absolutely needs to be a federal holiday, giving families and working citizens the time they need to vote with no constraints in order to even the playing field for voters. A businessman who makes six figures can afford to miss a day of work, but a single mother living paycheck to paycheck might not be able to, and this needs to be taken into consideration by our governments.
Hi Tanner, this is a great post! Many of the other posts I have read seem to discuss a specific event that occurred at a certain point, and explain what led up to and followed that event, and I have enjoyed reading them. However, you took an interesting approach in focusing on a specific democratic dilemma, voter suppression and the various ways in which it is conducted in the United States, that has always been an issue rooted in democracy, and I think that was an excellent idea. It is astounding how something as simple as scheduling election day during the typical work week can be so effective at suppressing voters. Making election day a federal holiday is a simple, effective way to reverse democratic erosion.
Good job, Tanner! I really enjoyed reading your post and this topic is one that is very salient at the moment. However, I would have to disagree with you in one respect. I find it a bit misleading to assert that America was founded “upon principles of democracy and liberty” when, in fact, it has always been a system that favors in-groups, originally white men, but ALWAYS the wealthy. I think it is important to clarify that true democracy is an ideal that we should continuously strive for because it has never been achieved. Current Republican efforts at voter suppression are perfectly in line with our nation’s history —but they shouldn’t be. I think it is important to acknowledge this truth because subscribing to the narrative taught to us as children only serves to make us complicit and to ignore the structural maladies that ail our nation. With that said, I agree with your desire for Election day to be deemed a federal holiday. I believe it would be a small push of the needle toward a more fair and democratic election process. However, it is not enough. We also need to push for the removal of corporate money in politics, an overhaul of the state legislatures’ ability to draw districts to curtail rampant gerrymandering, and the elimination of voter ID laws that disproportionately disenfranchise certain groups of the voting base. Especially considering recent events, I also think it is important to consider the Supreme Court and the role they play in how our democracy ultimately operates. So much of the way our democratic process is fundamentally broken, so we have a long way to go before we can claim America is a nation that prioritizes democracy and free and fair civic participation. We may do better than some, but we definitely have room for improvement.