By Liz Breadon, Boston City Council President
Every year, we tell people that voting is one of the most important responsibilities of citizenship. Yet too often we treat Election Day like any other day; we expect working parents, shift workers, caregivers, and students to fit that responsibility into the margins of an already busy Tuesday.
We can do better.
That is why the Boston City Council voted to recognize Election Day as a holiday for Council employees and called on the City of Boston and the Commonwealth to do the same.
In Boston, voter turnout in municipal elections routinely fails to break 20 percent. Across the country, Americans consistently cite conflicting work schedules as barriers to participation. In fact, according to US Census Bureau data, 26.5 percent of non-voters in the 2022 midterms said that being too busy or having conflicting work or school schedules was the primary reason they did not vote. If we are serious about strengthening democracy, we should look for ways to remove those barriers, not pretend they don’t exist.
For decades, the Boston City Council has not conducted hearings or council business on Election Day. This action simply recognizes a reality that already exists while giving staff the opportunity to vote, serve as poll workers, assist at precincts, or otherwise support election operations.
We designate holidays to reflect our shared values. We close government offices on Veterans Day because military service matters. We celebrate Labor Day because work matters. Election Day deserves similar recognition because democracy matters.
The question is not whether government employees deserve a day off. The question is whether voting, election administration, and civic participation deserve dedicated time and attention.
At a moment when faith in democratic institutions is declining, elected officials should be asking how to strengthen civic participation, not how little we can do.
Democracy is not self-executing. It depends on voters, poll workers, election officials, and community members willing to show up and participate. Leading up to this year’s election, the City of Boston Elections Department is in need of poll workers, call takers, and other Election Day volunteers
Boston has an opportunity to lead by example. Recognizing Election Day as a civic holiday won’t solve all the challenges facing our democracy. But it will send a clear message about our priorities: voting matters, civic participation matters, and democracy is worth making time for.
If we truly believe every voice should be heard, then Election Day should be treated as more than just another Tuesday.
Liz Breadon is president of the Boston City Council.
