Should election days be designated as state & federal holidays?

[Abacus]

I hate that people can't vote because they have to work. At the very least, more inroads need to be made for absentee and early voting.

Discuss.

[SteppingRazor]

1. I'm all for Election Day as a federal holiday.

:thumbsup:

[terrya]

2. Of course it should be.

This is a no-brainer. In my opinion.

[Abacus]

6. I thought so too, but yet

we don't have them. How do we get this going?

[terrya]

13. My guess is on the federal level...

it would have to originate with Congress. That's how Martin Luther King's birthday became a federal holiday, for instance.

[bluestateguy]

3. Hell yes

Though just the Novmeber election. And no exceptions for greedy retailers to hold election day sales either.

I also favor mandatory voting, but since that is more controversial, that would have ot be phased in.

[abluelady]

19. Actually if the Retailers Went For It

We would probably get it--corporations own stores.

[Renew Deal]

4. November should be

The others shouldn't. Let's move the election to Saturday or Sunday. Maybe Sunday with Monday off.

[ingac70]

5. Yes.

[MercutioATC]

7. Elections should be on the same days regardless of location and should

last for 3 days, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, with Monday being a Federal holiday.

[Exilednight]

8. I would go with one week voting. No excuse someone can not find a couple hours in a week to vote.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

9. Absolutley.

And I can't wait for President Obama to make that official.

[pdxmom]

10. Here in Oregon, all elections are vote by mail. You lose something

by not actually going out and pulling a lever or whatever, but at the same time, more people vote. And it really, really is convenient.

[rpannier]

11. Yes...

Just about every other legitimate Democracy makes it a holiday or holds it on a non-working day (like Sunday)

In Korea, every election is a holiday.
It's why it's no nice that the elections for President, National Assembly and the Provincial races are never held on the same day.

[napi21]

12. No. Employers are already required to give employees time off to vote

if their required workchedule conflicts with polling times. I don't know how many states have early voting and absentee voting, but every state I've lived in has both, and I've lived in 5 different States.

[Abacus]

15. I seem to remember

a lot of people leaving lines in '04 because of delays causing work conflicts. We can certainly go a long way to improve the system, but some sort of free-time arrangement would be helpful as well, I think.

I'd like to see more participation in primaries as well; I know that we didn't have early voting and absentee voting was reserved for military, etc.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

16. Then hold it on a Sunday. That's how it is in Brazil. -nt

[napi21]

18. That won't work for everybody either. My husband works in a supermarket,

and also works most every Sunday. So dpolice officers, nurses, Drs. bus drivers, restaurant workers, etc.......

I think we already have the best solution with "time off to vote laws".

http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/employment-employer/employment-employer-benefits/employment-employer-benefits-civic-leave.html

Nothing else I can think of would really alow EVERYONE to vote short of shutting down the whole country.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

20. But you gotta admit it's better than a weekday. -nt

[napi21]

21. I'm not sure. I used to always vote while my kids were in school so I didn't

have to tame them while waiting in line at the polls. When they got older and I worked every day, I'd just stop on my way home to vote.

I think we have a lot of other things to worry about with voting than does everyone have time. Touch screens, purging of voter roles, poor training of those in charge at the polling places.......

IMO, those are a lot more important right now than everyone MAKING TIME to vote!

[Mz Pip]

14. It would be a good idea

Though here in CA the polls are open for 12 hours and people who have trouble getting out can request an absentee ballot so it's pretty easy.

I think NYC public employees get election days off. My son mentioned that he gets those days off.

Hopefully more states come up with ways to make it easy to vote.

[beyurslf]

17. No. With all the ways to vote early, you should be able to find time to vote.

People with jobs that prevent them from voting probably have jobs that wouldn't be closed on a federal holiday anyway.