Election Day a Holiday?
Maybe Americans deserve a break on Election Day.
As Election Day draws near, an old question is circulating again: Should Election Day be a federal holiday?
“Why isn’t Election Day a national holiday in the US?” wondered Melissa Hernandez De La Cruz for KGW8 News on October 30, 2024.
“Election Day falls on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, a tradition that dates back to 1845,” she explained. “There are currently 12 federal holidays recognized in the U.S., with the newest addition being Juneteenth. Election Day is not one of them.”
“To make the change, Congress would have to approve the new holiday, followed by a signature from the president,” she added.
Some lawmakers are eager to do just that.
“Congressman Goldman Pushes to Make Election Day a Federal Holiday,” announced that gentleman’s office on March 7, 2024.
“Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) joined Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo (CA-16) in introducing the Election Day Holiday Act to make Election Day a federal holiday,” said the Congressman in a statement. “Making Election Day a federal holiday would give more American workers and students the day off of work to vote and encourage private workplaces to make time for employees to exercise their voting rights.”