by David Milkes

Created on: February 06, 2008   Last Updated: March 19, 2008

Ours 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.

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