Election Day

[chicken]

So why isn't election day a national holiday the way it is in so many other countries? Think how many more people would vote if that were so. Is it a Republican conspiracy to keep working people away from the polls?

Comments

[saifai.livejournal.com]

Huh. It'd make so much more sense, wouldn't it?

[chicken-cem.livejournal.com]

I think so. I always love your Jon Stewart icon!

[jwgh]

It is in the interest of incumbents of both parties for voter turnout to be low.

[chicken-cem.livejournal.com]

How so?

[anelith.livejournal.com]

I think it would be a great idea too. At least in our state the schools are closed on this Election Day so that it won't be a madhouse. Because our polling places are mostly in schools, and the parking lots are wee tiny. Can you imagine the chaos if they tried to have school this coming Tuesday? YIKES.

[chicken-cem.livejournal.com]

Ours are mostly in schools as well. When I voted in one primary in RI, the school at which we voted was still open -- which made sense, because the turnout for primaries is so low, they just roped off one room and half a hallway for voting, and school went on normally.

[anelith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the schools stay open for primaries here as well. I don't remember if the schools were open last "big" election day (4 years ago). My memory, it is a sieve!

[chicken-cem.livejournal.com]

Hey, my wife and I just had this conversation. If our memories are sieves, it's just fine-meshed ones. Some people have large-mesh sieves for brains. We gotta stop being so hard on ourselves.

Four years ago I have no idea, because four years ago we voted at a fire station, not a school.

[keever.livejournal.com]

A holiday would be a step in the right direction, but that still doesn't go far enough, IMHO. Holiday or no, there will always be people who have no choice but to go to work that day. We need to have early voting -- with extended voting hours --in all states if we're ever going to be serious about making it accessible.

[chicken-cem.livejournal.com]

That's a good point. I certainly wouldn't want every EMT and ER doctor to have the day off to vote! There has to be a way, such as more early voting, to give everyone a chance to vote.

[itsabigrock.livejournal.com]

Short answer: Yes.

[chicken-cem.livejournal.com]

That's an interesting icon!

[viciouswishes.livejournal.com]

It would be most lovely if it was. (And my younger brother would be so happy as his birthday is Nov 3rd and is often close, if not on, election day.) But don't you know, our Puritan work ethic means we can't take days off. (Seriously, I think we should all get one day off a month (in addition to sick days/normal vacation days) and we'd all be a happier nation.)

[chicken-cem.livejournal.com]

Among industrialized nations, ours is the lowest in rankings for days off (except for President Bush, who took a record number of vacation days for a President or for any American -- some months he spent most of his time in TX). I believe that the August before 9/11 he took the entire month off.

[viciouswishes.livejournal.com]

Yeah, his days off were ridiculous. I'd really love some more holidays added to our calendar. I think it'd make us all less crazy.