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| Yes | 59% | 267 votes | Total: 453 votes | |
| No | 41% | 186 votes |
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Add to FavoritesOurs might be the only nation that not only holds general elections during the week, but does not encourage its citizens and institutions to truly focus enough time on the process. Some European nations hold elections on Sunday. That might play better in a continent with waning church attendances, but in the U.S. a national holiday during the week would be ideal.
Currently, we are forced to rush to the polls before work or suffer waiting on a long line after work. People with children or other dependents are obviously more taxed. Some people just can't afford to take any time off to vote, or at least let other family members vote without them. The only people who can afford to invest their whole day to the election are senior citizens, a fact we seem to enjoy laughing or scoffing at.
All this is a shame. The historical reason for Election Day to fall on a Tuesday is that when voting locations were fewer and farther away (usually in the county seat), getting there took at most an entire day. A Monday election day would require travelers to leave on Sunday, which was prohibitive, again, because of the number of churchgoers. Today we have more polling places and quicker means to get to one. That would certainly eliminate the need for the election to occur specifically on Tuesday.
It could be argued to designate Saturday as Election Day, but that is another faith's Sabbath, as is Friday. So we can't offend the Abrahamic faithful. It therefore seems the least offensive to just call it a day off.
Wouldn't this be just another useless holiday where we merely don't go to work and don't actually reflect on its meaning? I say no. Its purpose already distinguishes it from all other federal holidays from Martin Luther King Day to Veteran's Day. This is the day to vote; that certainly takes up one's thoughts. It is a truly shared American experience, whereas MLK Day has gradations of meaning for different ethnic and age groups, days honoring veterans affect those who have lost loved ones more than others, and Thanksgiving Day conjures up the gamut of emotions from pride to horror.
The institution of a holiday where the majority of employers shut their businesses would obviously increase voter turnout. More interestingly to me is that it would also diversify as well as increase the volunteer pool. This would have a great effect on the recent distrust of the integrity of votes. More eyes will be open to any suspicious acts of sabotage. Both sides of the debate will be assuaged: legal voters can be properly verified, voters will not be turned away or intimidated, and the equipment will be under constant scrutiny.
It is quite ironic that given the unfathomable length of the presidential election season and the attention paid to every accusation, misstep and gesture by the old and new media, we are forced to spend as little time as possible to do the actual act that all that noise leads up to. There is also irony in that while most candidates are accused of being beholden to corporate interests instead of the public, it is indeed in the corporate interest for us to work in our civic duty around its schedule.
Certainly some people will spend this holiday like all the others that were started with good intentions: sleep in and pig out. But it will also allow more people to vote and volunteer than have previously been able.
Learn more about this author, David Milkes.
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No
In the United States of America citizens of a certain age have the right to vote. It is clearly a "right" (something that a person is entitled to) and not a "privilege"( something that a person earns or is permitted to do) though, as we all know, that right was not always extended to all American citizens. Nevertheless, many people opt not to exercise their right to vote.
There is much talk about turning Election Day into a national or federal holiday, under the assumption that more people would get out and vote. I'm pretty sure that making Election Day into a holiday isn't going to be enough incentive to get more people to the polls. To be sure, some people will in fact be encouraged to vote, but most people will not. The same thing would occur if smoking pot were legalized nation wide: some people who've never tried it would start lighting up, but most people won't- even though they'd have the right to do so.
As a matter of fact, it's more likely that if Election Day were made into a holiday, it would join the Holiday Parthenon and be reduced to nothing more than a nationally sanctioned day of partying, drinking, shopping, movie watching and gluttony. Think Fat Tuesday, only in November. (It's interesting to note that the only national holiday that does not have some sort of annual sale attached to it is Martin Luther King Day. Is it because it's too new of a holiday or is it because it would be sacrilegious to have a sale based on the ideals of Martin Luther King Jr.? Of course if that's true then one would have to ask why Christmas-a definite religious holiday- has so many sales associated with it-well beyond the traditional gift exchanges... just food for thought!)
The problem with getting more people to vote isn't an issue of giving people more time to vote. Most people live within walking distance of their polling place. Many employers will give their personnel time off the job WITH PAY to go and vote. If you're scheduled for surgery on election day, you can vote early or by absentee ballot; you can vote early or by absentee ballot for ANY reason as a matter of fact.
It goes without saying that adding another holiday into the mix would generally have a negative economic effect-TANSTAAFL-som ebody has to pay for all of the lost revenue to businesses and schools that would close, (if they stayed open that would defeat the purpose of the holiday. Of course there are some places like hospitals and fire departments that never close; those employed at those places would be forced to vote absentee or early, again negating the need to have the holiday.) the overtime that would have to be paid to get people to work a holiday, and so on and so forth. Economic impact was one of the arguments against making Martin Luther King Day into an official state sanctioned holiday. Many institutions and individuals caved in under the political pressure-they didn't want to be seen as racist or insensitive to minorities after all. Racism or insensitivity aside, the bottom line is that if businesses are closed they're not making money and somebody has make up for the shortfall.
A better approach would be to give people an incentive to vote. Some countries actually fine their citizens if they dont' vote. Imagine if you had to pay $75 just for failing to vote! The best solution would be for politicians to give people something they can believe in. Politics today are more concerned with defeating the other group than actually making America a better place. It's much like going to graduate school and taking one of those courses that teaches students how to pass a particular certification exam. Whether you're a good doctor, engineer or lawyer is not as important as passing the exam; read my book and I will give you specific strategies on test taking... Please! If people have hope, then they feel that voting really matters.
Learn more about this author, Bobby Brown.
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