Dated but good idea: Sandusky, Ohio, Makes Election Day A Paid Holiday -- By Swapping Out Columbus Da

[mfcorey1]

Sandusky, Ohio, is a small city on the shores of Lake Erie. It's best known among Midwesterners as the home of Cedar Point, an amusement park famed for its abundance of roller coasters.

But last week city leaders took steps that could make Sandusky known as a leader of democracy, too: They declared Election Day a paid holiday – by swapping out Columbus Day.

"A lot's happened in the last three years that had us thinking a lot about voter access and democracy, and so we thought it was a really natural switch," Sandusky City Manager Eric Wobser tells NPR. The move was first reported by the Sandusky Register.

https://www.npr.org/2019/02/08/692771542/sandusky-ohio-makes-election-day-a-paid-holiday-by-swapping-out-columbus-day

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. That's a better idea than just

having a new paid holiday.

Of course, having plenty of early voting available would tend to eliminate the idea of having Election Day a holiday. Plus, not everyone works in an office 8-5. Lots of retail, delivery people, hospital workers, and so on.

I wonder why we are still inclined to call out office hours as being 9-5? I think there was a time when those were the normal hours for office workers in certain large cities, like NYC, but the paid lunch break was long gone by the time I entered the work force in 1965.

[SoCalNative]

2. If it were ever to become a national holiday

businesses could actually shut down. Yes, even stores. At the very least they could stagger hours or open late to allow employees to vote before having to be at work.

That's how they do it in the rest of the western world.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. Of course. Just like they shut down on other holidays.

What rock do you live under? Have you not noticed stores being open on Thanksgiving? I think they still close on Christmas, but every single other holiday retail stores are open. In the DC area, President's Day is a HUGE retail opportunity.

In fact, I can almost guarantee that if Election Day were to be a National Holiday, lots and lots of retail outlets would have "Election Day Specials!" and require workers to be there at least ten hours during the day. So much for voting.

I doubt you've worked retail, just from your response.

[SoCalNative]

4. I have worked retail

but back in the dark ages when society was more polite and it wasn't about wringing every last dollar out of consumers.

Simple solution would be mandatory, government-ordered closures on election day. They have enough sense to shut down in Europe, or at least stagger hours and shifts so that everyone can participate. Voting should also be made mandatory as it is in other countries.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

5. Do you honestly think they'd order retail stores to close?

How about restaurants? Fast food places? Convenience stores and gas stations. Obviously hospitals and police will continue to work as usual.

I must ask, in Europe do retail stores close on election day?

Honestly, the best solution is to have good advance voting. Or better yet, all mail in ballots. We had a local vote here recently that was all mail and many more people voted here than usual.