Bill Would Swap Confederate Heroes Day for Election Day
State Rep. John Bucy III proposes moving the January 19 holiday to Election Day in even-numbered years.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Elections
Live Poll
Should Texas replace Confederate Heroes Day with a state Election Day holiday?
Texas State Rep. John Bucy III has proposed a bill that would replace Confederate Heroes Day, observed on January 19, with an Election Day state holiday. Democratic lawmakers have pushed to remove the Confederate observance for the last five consecutive legislative sessions.
Why it matters
Bucy argues that moving the holiday to Election Day could improve voter turnout by giving Texans more flexibility to vote. The proposal comes amid an ongoing rebuke of monuments and symbols dedicated to the Confederacy.
The holiday was enacted in 1973 in honor of Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee and is a partial state holiday in which offices remain open and employees may take paid time off. Under the bill, the observance would move to Election Day in even-numbered years, and whether it advances is unknown until the 2027 session.
The players
John Bucy III
Texas State Representative who proposed the bill to replace Confederate Heroes Day with an Election Day holiday.
The details
The bill would replace Confederate Heroes Day, authored by former Texas Sen. Jack Ogg, with a holiday tied to Election Day. Bucy is renewing a proposal previously introduced in earlier legislative sessions.
Timeline
1973: Texas Legislature enacts Confederate Heroes Day.
2020: Nearly 168 Confederate symbols are renamed or removed nationally, 12 in Texas.
January 12, 2027: Legislature convenes for its next regular session.
Political Context
The proposal extends the post-2020 removal of Confederate symbols from public spaces, when nearly 168 were renamed or removed nationally, 12 of them in Texas, into the state holiday calendar. Opponents of the observance have pushed for its removal across five consecutive legislative sessions.
If enacted, the bill would change which January date Texas workers observe as a partial holiday and would tie a state holiday to Election Day in even-numbered years. Texans already receive two hours off from work to vote on Election Day, so the change would add a holiday rather than alter existing voting time.
The takeaway
Whether Texas replaces Confederate Heroes Day will depend on the 2027 legislative session, and the outcome could reshape how the state marks its holidays. Readers can follow the bill's progress as the session begins.
What happens next
The Texas Legislature convenes January 12, 2027, when the bill's fate will be decided.
Further reading
For related coverage, see Elections for how voting access and turnout policies are shaping state debates.
Live Poll
Should Texas replace Confederate Heroes Day with a state Election Day holiday?
