by Tom Karlin

Created on: July 15, 2008

Can you imagine what would happen to the election process if we decided to make Election Day a holiday? It would simply become a joke. First of all, it is a minority of eligible voters who actually vote in the federal election to begin with. I would have to say that these people who actually take the time to go out on a chilly November day and cast a ballot have probably spent some time studying the candidates and the issues. With a little luck, they can sometimes even make the right choice. Sorry, the last statement was meant as a joke. Unfortunately, there are a whole lot more United States citizens who are either uninformed, apathetic or have given up on the election process altogether.

Having said all that, there is a fundamental problem at the core of this great sounding idea of having a national holiday on Election Day. The problem is, in my opinion, the same as with any holiday. That being; when anyone is given a day off from work, normally they just want to enjoy the free time at home, relaxing and spending it with other family members. Now if the holiday was in the summer, we would probably want to arrange a BBQ with friends and toss back a few cold ones. That wouldn't do well to promote election fever would it? But the reality is that election time is in November, and for those poor unfortunate folks who live in the cold north, it means spending more time indoors. So in order to vote it means the horrible thought of having to get dressed and leave a warm comfy home and head to the polls where who knows how long of a lineup they might be facing. Why would anyone want to go out and vote; what would be the incentive? In the past, of course, patriotism has always been a good enough reason to cast a ballot for the President of the United States. Is it possible that patriotism which is the like the glue holding the country together would wane in the face of the alternative choice of not having to get up and go to work for one day? Could sleep and the comfort of home be enough to discourage voters from heading to the polls on Election Day, and can we afford to take the chance?

Don't get me wrong; I love holidays, the more the better. However, it concerns me that if you were given the choice whether to vote or stay home on Election Day, a holiday for the most part would mean neglecting civil duty and enjoying quality time with the ones closest to you, and no, I'm not referring to the strangers you meet in line at the voting booth.

Maybe instead of giving everyone a holiday, the people who vote on Election Day should be given a voucher for a day off work at a time of their choosing. It might cost the Federal government a lot of money, but so does a national holiday. The biggest benefit would be the enormous number of additional voters who would go out of their way to take part on Election Day.

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