Is Election Day a federal holiday? Should it be? What Arizona voters need to know

In Arizona, Election Day is business as usual.

Banks and schools will be open, mail will be delivered, and most businesses will operate as usual. In Arizona, the polls will open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m., providing enough time for individuals to visit a polling center before or after work.

For those who prefer not to send in their ballots by mail and go in person, there are several polling locations across Phoenix and Arizona, but for some it can be hard to find the time to vote.

Is Election Day a holiday?

Election Day is not a federal holiday, although there have been efforts to establish it as one. In 2021, the "Election Day Holiday Act" or the "Freedom to Vote Act" was introduced but was not passed into law.

The proposed act would have transformed Election Day into a federal holiday, permitted same-day voter registration and voting, expanded the acceptable forms of identification for voting, and facilitated the process of voting by mail without requiring specific excuses.

Arizona election: Results from across the state, including Maricopa County

Should Election Day be a holiday?

The argument in favor of making Election Day an official holiday is it would increase voter turnout and enable more people to vote.

In the 2020 election, about 66.5% of eligible voters voted. It was the highest turnout since 1900 and saw 20 million more votes than the 137 million during the 2016 election.

One of the arguments against making Election Day a federal holiday is that some believe that changing state laws and corporate policies to facilitate voting would be a more effective way to help people vote, rather than designating a federal holiday.

In 30 states, employers are required to grant employees paid time off for voting. In Arizona, employees who do not have three consecutive hours available before or after their work hours can take paid time off at the start or end of their workday to vote.

Is Election Day a holiday in other states?

There are 19 states that observe Election Day as a legal holiday, including Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia, and West Virginia, where most state offices are closed.

Whether schools will be closed during Election Day is up to local school districts. School gymnasiums are often used as polling locations and some districts across the country will be closed for the day.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Is Election Day a federal holiday? What Arizona voters need to know