Would you want to change the voting day?

[Killarney]

I think that the fact that the voting day is a Tuesday hurts the process and especially Democrats. I think that if it was on a Saturday, more people would come out and vote. Many people don't vote because they don't have time between dropping the kids off and getting to work, etc. People are very busy. Sure, they *should* make the time, but let's be honest, 50% of the country doesn't make the time. Also, there's college students. Many college students aren't going to go to their hometown on a Tuesday to vote and many don't bother with the absentee ballot either. Maybe if voting day was a Saturday, more college students would vote because they can go home for the weekend.

Thoughts?

[randr]

1. We should have three to four days.

[reachout]

2. Agree

I would spread the balloting across at least four days, two of those being weekend days. I think that placing it on a work day in the middle of the week is the worst possible scenario for turnout.

[Fitzovich]

3. Good Point

Why does it just have to be one day? Why not 2 or even a week. What's the hurry?

[Dr.Phool]

5. 2 weeks in Florida

We can now vote up to 2 weeks early in Florida. I used to think a Sat. or Sun. would be good, but we'd wind up insulting someones religion.

This year, with the ongoing electronic voting machine fiasco I think we should rely as much as possible on absentee ballots. Any registered voter can get one, and it leaves a paper trail.

[murielm99]

4. I disagree, respectfully, because

The talking heads would wreak havoc with a three to four day process. And you can't shut them up, because they would yell about freedom of the press. They would have a point, too.

[meow2u3]

6. Election Day should be changed to a Saturday

Tuesday may have been ideal when we had an agricultural economy, but it's no longer feasible. Even though the law dictates that workers must have four hours leave to be able to vote, employers routinely disregard that law--with impunity. But four hours aren't enough for many voting precincts, especially the predominantly working-class ones where most work for a living. Besides, many people can't afford to take four hours off because that would mean lost pay.

[PVnRT]

7. It should be a national holiday

Granted, that might not help most people working in jobs where you only get three or four days off a year anyway, but that would be start.

I think they should extend poll hours from very early morning, say, 4 a.m., to very late at night, say 11 p.m. Hours like that would give many more people the opportunity to come vote who otherwise couldn't because they don't have time to stop by before/after work, at lunch, etc.