Is it time to make Election Day a National Holiday?

[SoonerPride]

Why do we have to miss work, possibly get docked pay or take sick or vacation days to vote?

Can we get this fixed by 2012?

[MikeNearMcChord]

1. Why Not! I 'm for it!

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. I think that would be an excellent idea n/t

[TBF]

3. And let poor people vote? Blasphemy!

:sarcasm:

[billyoc]

4. I envision the entire country taking a 4 day weekend and going on vacation.

Worst. Idea. Ever.

[SoonerPride]

9. I envision hourly workers being able to vote for the first time ever.

The poor in this country cannot simply miss work or be 5 hours late because of lines.

Students have to either miss class or juggle their schedule to vote.

To me, it is time to make elections accessible to all.

Weekend voting or even better a National Holiday.

[paparush]

5. DELUGE YOUR REPS DEMANDING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION DAY BECOME A NATIONAL HOLIDAY!

Make it a priority starting TOMORROW!

[WI_DEM]

6. It should be or we should have weekend voting both Saturday and Sunday.

[demokatgurrl]

7. Long past. Or at the very least

make it on a weekend,maybe even a 3-day weekend. With nationwide early voting allowed.
I think that would go a long way to increase turnout.

Of course that's just what repukes don't want.

[Nye Bevan]

8. No need. Just let everyone vote by mail.

No polling places. No long lines. Just fill out your ballot at your leisure anytime during the month prior to election day. This system seems to work pretty well in Oregon.

[SoonerPride]

10. I'd be for that, but since we have 50 different states, it would be hard to change all of them

We don't have a national election, but rahter 50 state elections at the same time.

That's why the system is so FUBARed.

[chrisau214]

11. Yes

Make election day a holiday and expand early voting to all states.







Chris

[Lorien]

12. Past time, actually. n/t

[BeFree]

13. Are you insane?

If we did that there would be a ton of people with nothing to do after they voted except to campaign for Dems, hand count paper ballots, staff the polls and all that.

If we did all that then elections would become too honest.

Besides, the rich can take the whole day off anyday they want.

[AtomTan]

14. The lowest paid workers

have to work on holidays anyway. Or will volunteer to work for holiday (2.5x) pay. Such is the irony of "Labor Day."

[surrealAmerican]

22. Valid point. Many people do work on national holidays.

[dpbrown]

15. Yes, and we should have compulsory voting and instant-runoff ballots, like they do in Australia

It's shameful that we boast about this "big democracy" and then fail to get everyone to vote and find a way to make everyone's vote count.

[Motown_Johnny]

16. Yes, but expanding early voting should also be done. And 100% paper ballots no matter what

even if you have touch screens to vote... they need to print out a paper ballot for recounts

[JJ]

17. Bad idea

people wouldn't show up.

Local and State elections have been tried on weekends, and turnout went down.

[bobd0]

18. We should have a national election month capped by a national Elecion Day holiday!

If voting is so important to democracy why does our nation, which proclaims itself to be the world's leading democracy, make voting so difficult?

[abburdlen]

19. Veterans day should be moved

to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
What better way to honor those who served than voting?

[SoonerPride]

20. I like it!!

Make them converge into one truly meaningful day

[swishyfeet]

21. VOTE. BY. MAIL.

I relaxed, poured a beer, and took my time reading through the voters pamphlet two weeks ago while filling out my ballot.

Images on the news in Portland this morning are last minute voters dropping off their ballots at drive-up ballot drop-off stations. Time spent: about 5 seconds.

I watch lines HOURS long and wonder why on earth the rest of this country makes it so much more difficult. It's the 21st century and things are only getting worse.

[MatthewStLouis]

23. Yes, keep it on Tuesday. It's a sacred day for voting, not a 3 day weekend. n/t

[SoonerPride]

25. I agree it should stay on Tuesday. Just no one should work.

That includes the Wal Marts and Mcdonalds of the world.

They all should be closed. Only essential services like fire, police and hospitals that have to work to keep people safe and alive.

Everyone else should be off to go vote.

[Liberalboy]

24. YES!!!!

if the turnout is as high as they say it will be Obama will have a mandate to make it a holiday