I have an idea for a holiday!

It’ll be a Federal Holiday called “Election Day,” and it will be celebrated on Tuesday after the first Monday in November. All non-essential workplaces must close down so that every American citizen 18 or older will have the right to vote. As with other holidays like Christmas and New Years’ Day, employees can still expect to be paid for this day. This event will happen every year, regardless of whether there is a primary election, because general and local elections are just as important.

Essential workers, like firefighters and nurses, will also receive time to vote ahead of the election so that if they do have to work on Election Day, their votes will still be counted (and they’ll get the time off later).

“But Happy Hagfish, in my state my employer is required to give me four hours (or something) to go vote. Isn’t that the same for everyone? Why do we need a national holiday?”

Well, dear reader, I’m glad that your state believes in voting rights, but every state is different. Some states require people to use PTO to take time off and vote. Other states allow voting entirely by mail, so you can easily fill out a ballot weeks in advance on your own time (thank you, California).

There are a few states that have declared Election Day a civic holiday, which is a great first step, but as voting is one of the most important things a person can do as an American citizen, it would be great if this were enacted throughout the entire United States.

November 5, 2024, Election Day, is coming up in just two days. It is a very important election. Technically, all elections are important, even the less-sexy local elections where you get to vote on city council members and the comptroller (you can learn more about these in your local newspaper). The 2024 election will not only decide the President and Vice President, but also 435 House Representatives, and 34 of the 100 senators. Not to mention all of the hundreds of ballot measures for individual states.

So if Election Day were made a federal holiday and allowed U.S. citizens to vote with slightly more ease, then I think that alone would be worth celebrating.

After we have Election Day as a national holiday, we can work on abolishing the Electoral College (aka that fun system which allows people to become president even if they lose the popular vote) and instituting instant-runoff voting.

Also reader, if you’re not registered to vote, then some states allow same-day voter registration. It’s not too late to make your voice heard, especially if you live in a state like Nevada, Wisconsin, or Minnesota.