Voting is a right guaranteed to each citizen of the United States. Voting is integral to the maintaining the government of the United States and is the most effective way a citizen can express their wants and desires to their representatives, and allows them to choose who represents them. However, despite it being such an important act, why do we not have federal holidays for major elections?
While voting is a right that all citizens of the United States over the age of 18, it does not mean that each citizen is eager to vote. I often find myself dreading election season as it means I need to give up significant amounts of my free time to investigate each candidate and make sure I am not voting for someone against my values.
Voting can be an exhausting process that many are willing to forsake in favor of leisurely activities. The daily life of an American citizen can already feel overwhelming, trying to keep up with inflation and maintain their livelihood. The pressures an election can bring are often too much for many, and they will instead ignore them. With millions of people living in the country, it is easy to believe that if you decide not to vote, it won’t have an impact on the result.
If each major election day were a federal holiday, it would give citizens who are typically too busy to do proper research the time to figure out who represents them best and cast an informed vote. Your ability to cast an informed vote should not be limited by your economic situation or by having too many responsibilities. Each citizen has a right to be represented, and I feel that every citizen should have the time to be able to cast a vote that properly represents them.
