Election Day a National Holiday - Give Conyers your input now!

[the ether]

Hey DU,

If Conyers and others are introducing Election reform legislation, I'd like to ask everyone to advise Conyers
into creating election day a NATIONAL HOLIDAY!

SO many other democracies have this and it HELPS with voter turnout.


thanks,

e



http://www.house.gov/conyers/letstalk.htm

[Goldeneye]

1. Is it ok to send one even if I'm not from MI

because the state is already filled in...

[Inland]

2. It is an idiotic idea, and I'll tell you why.

In the US, a national holiday means you work, unless you work in a bank, the government, or a school. Did you get Columbus Day off?

Not only will most employees not get the time off, but parents have their kids home as well. How does that help increase voting.

What you would need is NOT a national holiday, but a day where every person who wants to claim something akin to jury duty, where the employer must let them leave without retaliation--and then they have to show a receipt for a ballot.

Otherwise, leave it alone.

[newscott]

4. I don't think it's a bad idea.

When my kids were real little, I took them to the polling place. When I was little my parents took me to the polling place.

It should be a requirement for all businesses to be closed on national voting day.

I know perish the thought, the government making businesses close.

[Lizzie Borden]

3. I, too, thought about that.

At first, it seemed like a good idea. Then I thought, knowing Americans, they will use any day off to 'goof' off. They'll use it as a three or four day weekend and go somewhere (where they are ineligible to vote). I think we'd better keep election day a work day so people will be near where they vote. We might think about having a set amount of time that we could have, by law, to vote, and make that well publicised. (Or maybe we have this? The idea is lurking in my brain for some reason.)

[Carolab]

5. We could have a mail-in option instead.

And more early voting and same-day registrations.

If we make it a national holiday, people will use the time for vacationing or recreating or other things, instead of voting.

[Freddie Stubbs]

6. This will wind up discriminating against the working poor

Do you think that waitresses are going to be given the day off? Janators? Not very likely. The early voting that some state use would be more helpful in allowing more people the opportunity to vote.

[candice]

7. How about mandatory voting as in Australia

...although I can't imagine that the Suppress the Vote party would jump on board for that.