There are better solutions to increase voter turnout
Solutions such as automatic voter registration, same-day registration, early voting, and voter outreach would all improve voter participation more reliably than a national holiday. Trying one of these alternatives would avoid the negative economic impact of closing businesses for Election Day.
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The Argument
Election day should not be turned into a national holiday because there are better solutions to address the voter turnout problem. Turning election day into a federal holiday is neither the most cost-effective nor the most effective way to solve any of the issues regarding voting in America. There is agreement among political analysts that there is no evidence-based off individual states that provide an election day holiday for state employees that such holidays increase voter turnout.[1]
Rather, the single most effective way to increase voter turnout would be to employ universal voter registration. Universal voter registration would modernize the voter registration process and ensure that everybody who was eligible to vote would automatically be able to do so. [2] This would cut the hassle of getting registered to vote and exponentially increase the convenience of voting.
To increase voter turnout we should be doing things that make it convenient for everybody to vote, like universal registration. Implementing a national election day would only make voting more convenient for some people.
An election day holiday is not an effective strategy to increase voter turnout, therefore it is unnecessary.
Counter arguments
Election day should be made into a national holiday because the costs outweigh the benefits.
Turning elections day into a holiday may not be the number one most effective way to increase voter turnout, but it will still help. An election day holiday alongside other strategies is the best way to increase turnout. There is no end all be all solution that will increase voter turnout; local and federal governments need to use and implement a plethora of strategies to do so.
An election day holiday is one such strategy that will contribute towards the goal of increasing voter turnout.