SignalHub-Are schools closed on Election Day? Here's what to know before polls open

Election Day is SignalHubhere, and while voters head to the polls, their children may be enjoying their day off as many schools nationwide plan on closing Tuesday.

Several school districts will not hold classes due to safety concerns or because they recognize Election Day as a public holiday. Fourteen states have deemed Election Day a public holiday, according to the Monument Advancement Movement.

Here is an overview of how states will handle school on Election Day.

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What are states doing about schooling on Election Day?

School on Tuesday differs among other states that don't recognize Election Day as a holiday.

In Texas, for one, many schools in the Houston area have scheduled either a professional development day or a school holiday for staff and students on Tuesday, the Houston Chronicle reported, while the Houston Independent School District (HISD), the largest public school system in Texas and the seventh largest in the U.S., will still hold classes on Election Day.

"Instruction is a top priority and will continue on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024," HISD spokesperson Richard Guerra previously said in a statement to the Houston Chronicle. "Our teams are prepared to hold classes and accommodate polling locations safely and securely in our buildings."

Numerous school districts in Florida, Georgia and Pennsylvania have decided to cancel classes. The School District of Philadelphia, the eighth largest school district in the nation by enrollment, canceled its classes on Tuesday, according to its academic calendar.

It will be important for parents and guardians to be aware of what their children's school districts plan to do on Election Day.

In what other states is Election Day a public holiday?

Of the 14 states that recognize Election Day as a public holiday, five of them require employers to provide paid time off for voting. Here is the complete list:

• Hawaii (Paid time off)
• Illinois (Paid time off)
• Maryland (Paid time off)
• New York (Paid time off)
• West Virginia (Paid time off)
• Delaware
• Indiana
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Michigan
• Montana
• New Jersey
• Rhode Island
• Virginia

Is Election Day a federal holiday?

Election Day is not a federal holiday as there is no federal law requiring voters to be provided time off to cast their ballot, according to the Monument Advancement Movement.

Despite Election Day not being a federal holiday, most state offices will be closed on Tuesday with 24 state offices, plus the District of Columbia, offering paid time off to vote.

Should schools be used as Election Day polling places?

Schools have historically served as Election Day polling places for many years because they are central and easily accessible places for voters who are assigned their location.

"Schools are a part of the community and most communities have maintained school sites as election day polling places even with the many new challenges facing the safety of our schools," the National School Safety and Security Services said.

According to the Cleveland, Ohio-based national school safety consulting firm, "school and community officials must take reasonable safety and security measures into account." This includes possibly removing polling places from schools, which the firm supports.

"Unfortunately, far too many elected and administrative officials are hesitant, often for political reasons, to propose and strongly support removing polling places for schools," the firm said. "While doing so will obviously require additional administrative work of finding new election sites and providing notice to voters, the additional work is unquestionably worth the added benefits toward creating safer schools."