🏛️ Civics · Beginner · Policy resolution

Resolved: The United States should make Election Day a federal holiday.

Federal elections fall on a Tuesday in November, a regular workday. Would a national holiday help more people vote?

Background

Federal law has set Election Day as the Tuesday after the first Monday in November since 1845 for presidential elections, and later for congressional elections. Some states give state workers the day off or require employers to allow time to vote, and many states now offer early voting or voting by mail, so many voters no longer vote on Election Day itself. [3]

Evidence on holidays is limited. A 2009 Princeton study by economist Henry Farber compared state employees in states that give them an Election Day holiday with other workers and found no significant increase in turnout, concluding that a holiday by itself isn’t an effective way to raise turnout. Supporters respond that a national holiday would reach far more people than state workers and would signal the importance of voting. [1]

Where the facts themselves are disputed

Would a holiday raise turnout?

  • Supporters expect higher turnout and point to countries that vote on weekends or holidays.
  • Farber’s study of state holidays found no significant effect, and many voters already vote early or by mail.

Key terms

Federal holiday
A day off for federal workers; many private employers and schools follow it, but they aren’t required to.
Early voting
Voting in person before Election Day.
Poll worker
A person who helps run a polling place, often a volunteer or temporary worker.

Both sides at their strongest

Each argument is written the way its best advocates would make it, followed by the strongest answer from the other side. Use them to build your case and to prepare for the other one.

Affirmative

A national holiday would make voting easier and show that democracy matters.

  1. A1 Work schedules keep people from voting.

    Why Long lines and long workdays make it hard for some workers to vote on a Tuesday; a day off removes that barrier.

    Evidence Census surveys in which non-voters cite being too busy or schedule conflicts.

    Best answer The negative answers that many workers in retail, health care and transportation would still work, and early voting already addresses schedules.

  2. A2 A holiday could ease the shortage of poll workers.

    Why With schools and offices closed, more people could staff polling places, shortening lines.

    Evidence Reports from election officials on poll-worker shortages; use of schools as polling places.

    Best answer The negative replies that recruiting and paying poll workers addresses this more directly.

  3. A3 It signals that voting is a shared civic duty.

    Why Holidays mark what a nation values; making Election Day one would encourage civic celebration and participation.

    Evidence Arguments in legal scholarship, such as “The Case for Making Election Day a Federal Holiday” (Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy).

    Best answer The negative replies that symbols don’t change behavior much, as Farber’s results suggest.

  4. A4 Election Day still matters despite early voting.

    Why Many voters still prefer to vote on Election Day, and some states offer little early voting.

    Evidence Election data on the share of votes cast on Election Day by state.

    Best answer The negative argues that expanding early voting in those states would help more than one day off.

Negative

A holiday is costly and unlikely to raise turnout; better tools exist.

  1. N1 Evidence shows holidays alone don’t raise turnout.

    Why If state workers who get the day off don’t vote more, a national holiday may not either.

    Evidence Farber (Princeton, 2009) on state Election Day holidays.

    Best answer The affirmative answers that a national holiday reaches many more people and could have different effects.

  2. N2 Many workers wouldn’t get the day off.

    Why Stores, hospitals and transit stay open on federal holidays; hourly workers who most need time may still work, and some parents would need child care.

    Evidence Data on private-sector holiday practices.

    Best answer The affirmative replies that a holiday plus a requirement for paid time to vote would reach those workers.

  3. N3 A federal holiday is expensive.

    Why Closing federal offices costs paid leave and lost work, money that could fund election administration.

    Evidence Estimates of the cost of a federal holiday.

    Best answer The affirmative argues the cost is small for strengthening democracy.

  4. N4 Early and mail voting work better.

    Why Giving voters many days and ways to vote fits more schedules than a single day off.

    Evidence Research on turnout effects of early voting and vote-by-mail.

    Best answer The affirmative answers that the two approaches can work together.

Strawman or steelman?

A strawman is a weak copy of the other side’s view, easy to knock down and unfair to the people who hold it. A steelman is that view at its strongest. Answer the steelman, and you’ve answered the real argument. (More on steelmanning.)

Affirmative

Strawman “They just want another day off.”

Why it’s unfair Supporters argue about barriers to voting and poll-worker shortages.

Steelman A holiday removes work barriers to voting, helps staff polling places and signals that voting is a shared civic duty.

Negative

Strawman “They don’t want more people to vote.”

Why it’s unfair Many opponents favor early and mail voting instead.

Steelman Evidence suggests holidays alone don’t raise turnout, many workers wouldn’t get the day off, and early and mail voting do more.

Weak arguments to avoid

Affirmative

  • “A holiday will double turnout.” No evidence supports such a large effect.

Negative

  • “People will just go to the beach.” A guess without evidence; use Farber’s study instead.

Questions for cross-examination

Ask the Affirmative

  1. What did Farber find about state Election Day holidays?
  2. Would grocery and hospital workers get the day off?
  3. How many votes are already cast before Election Day?

Ask the Negative

  1. Do non-voters say schedules kept them from voting?
  2. How do poll-worker shortages affect lines?
  3. Would you support a holiday combined with paid time off to vote?

Reading on both sides

Read at least one source from each side before you debate. Look up each source’s author and publisher too: who wrote it is part of the evidence.

Both sides in one place

Mostly Affirmative

Mostly Negative

Practice this topic

Sources for the background

  1. Increasing Voter Turnout: Is Democracy Day the Answer?, Princeton University (2009-02). Accessed 2026-10-25.
  2. The Case for Making Election Day a Federal Holiday, Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy. Accessed 2026-10-25.
  3. Election Day (United States), Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-25.

Teddy Rook Book doesn’t take a side on this resolution. Updated 2026-10-25.

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