Voting on the Weekend? Democrats Eye a New Election Day

[Owlet]

"Americans have long voted on Tuesdays, a tradition held over from the mid-1800s, when it was more convenient for farmers. But voting on Tuesday is more difficult in the 21st century, when people have longer commutes, jobs with odd hours, and generally faster-paced, more crammed lives.


Two top Democrats suggest it would be more convenient in these times to vote on the weekend instead. They want Saturday to be the new Election Day, and ideally for them, that would start in 2014.

Congressmen Steve Israel (N.Y.) and John Larson (Conn.) have announced legislation that would let Americans vote on the first full weekend in November instead of the first Tuesday, a change they say would drive up voter turnout by making it more convenient for people who work during the week to cast ballots."

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/03/voting-on-the-weekend-democrats-eye-a-new-election-day/

[boston bean]

1. I'm just not sure about it.

People are doing their own thing on the weekend. Whether it be relaxing, taking a trip, shopping...

But I'm not sure either. I can see why some just wouldn't bother on their day off.

Who knows....

[BumRushDaShow]

2. Like much of the rest of the world

voting should be allowed over multiple days. I expect that now that Democrats are looking to do this, rethugs who have done it in rethug states will pull back (like Florida has been doing) because they intend to do everything in their power to suppress the Dem vote.

[DLCistheGOP]

3. If the goal is low voter turn out

than weekend voting is he way to go.

Paid midweek holiday to go vote, wih validation of course.

If it were up to me, if one does not vote than they get assed a 10% penalty on their taxes for not voting.

[left is right]

4. I think this is the way to go however

I can see it from a companies view also so I would modify it to a half day paid holiday. Employees could choose between morning or afternoon. Employers would have the right to insist that the work schedule be covered so everyone couldn’t take off in the afternoon. I do like the idea of validation, though.

[Honeycombe8]

6. I am against that. It'd be too hard for small businesses. Some would have to close...

there are small businesses with only one employee manning the store front. That would create a hardship. I am totally against that.

If someone is going to vote, he will. Giving a half day off won't help that in a lot of cases. The workers will just take the afternoon off to do something else. Besides, it doesn't take half a day to vote.

[Honeycombe8]

5. It'd be easier for me to vote on a weekend. But we have early voting (still, for time being).

Of course, the Dems aren't in control of general election voting days. Only primaries.