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Con 2 <br />Changing state laws and individual companies' policies would be more effective ways to help people <br />vote. <br />According to the AFL-CIO, 30 states require employers to allow employees time off for voting. Arizona, <br />for example, allows employees who do not have three consecutive hours before or after work when the <br />polls are open to take paid time off to vote at the start or end of their work days. Passing laws in all <br />states that let people vote before or after work would be more effective than a national holiday, which <br />would quickly be viewed as just another day off to enjoy. [26] [27] <br />Companies including Abercrombie & Fitch Co., Farmers Insurance, Kaiser Permanente, Patagonia, and <br />Walmart have joined Make Time to Vote campaign, which encourages employers to provide paid time <br />off, schedule no meetings on Election Day, and give information on mail -in ballots and early <br />voting. [28][29] <br />Patagonia, an outdoor clothing retailer, paused operation on Nov. 6, 2018 so that all employees could <br />vote. Rose Marcario, CEO, stated, "demonstrating your company's commitment to voting will reinforce <br />how essential it is that every eligible voter shows up. And it will, in turn, help strengthen the idea that <br />businesses can and will come together for a worthy common purpose: protecting our democracy by <br />empowering all American workers to be good citizens." [30] <br />Con 3 <br />Other solutions would more reliably increase voter turnout than a national holiday. <br />Solutions such as automatic voter registration, same -day registration, early voting, no -excuse absentee <br />voting, restoring voting rights to former felons, improved civics education, and voter outreach would all <br />improve voter participation more reliably than a national holiday. Trying one of these alternatives would <br />avoid the negative economic impact of closing businesses for Election Day. [31] [32] [33] <br />Henry Farber, Hughes -Rogers Professor of Economics at Princeton University, conducted an analysis of <br />states that made Election Day a holiday for state employees. He concluded that "having an election <br />holiday, by itself, is not an effective strategy to increase voter turnout." [34] <br />Automatic voter registration, by contrast, could register an additional 22 million people and create 7.9 <br />million new voters nationwide within a year. [31] <br />Same -day registration boosts turnout by 5%, and universal implementation of it would have added as <br />many as 4.8 million voters in the 2016 election, according to Danielle Root and Liz Kennedy from the <br />Center for American Progress. [31] <br />Discussion Questions <br />1. Should Election Day be a national holiday? Why or why not? <br />2. If Election Day were a national holiday, how would you ensure hourly and low-income workers would <br />get a chance to vote? Explain your answer. <br />3. What other improvements could be made to voting and Election Day? Think of things such as voter ID <br />laws, lowering the voting age, and abolishing the Electoral College. Explain your answers. <br />