Election Day should be a national holiday.

time and time and time again!

It could take place over a weekend to give everyone plenty of time to vote and to allow more people that work five days a week greater access to the polls.

Here they're required by law to give employees four consecutive, paid hours on election day if their schedule would possibly interfere with voting.

If I was not able to vote before going to work, my boss always made sure I left work no later than 6 pm so I could get to the polls before they closed at 8. This was when I was in my 20s and I think his attitude really reinforced in me the importance of voting (as if having an activist mother wasn't enough of an influence).

We have that as well in Minnesota as well as same day voting laws. We also have the highest voter turnout in the nation rather consistently.

I still think it could be better.

It doesn't help voter turnout. In the 2011 governors race, just over 30% of registered voters went to the polls, even with two full weeks of early voting. People always has an excuse: football game, opening day of deer season, a festival, etc......

I completely agree!

No polling places, no lines, no hassle.

For the 2004 Govenor's election, I never received my ballot, and hubby received his on the ship the day before election day. I was able to go the the registrar's office and cast my vote but hubby was unable to vote in that election because there was no way it could be postmarked by election day (small ship, not part of a carrier battle group). And I like going to the polls, I always bring my children and give them a mini-civics lesson about the importance of being an informed voter.

then Election Day on the year of a Presidential contest should be a National Holiday OR elections should be held on a weekend.

In most European countries this is on a Sunday but heaven forbid we would get a ration of resistance from Xtians here.

But since we don't really take elections seriously here we have what we have.

And everyone should be required to vote.

Less than half of the people in the United States who are eligible to vote actually do vote!

a mandate????

Someone misses a vote, they're asked to explain why; there's acceptable outs such as illness or religious objection, etc., and if one of those isn't provided then the voter's fined twenty dollars.

They had a ninety-four percent turnout for their last election.

if there are not extenuating circumstances. I think I read Britain has a fine as well, like 25 Pounds

Unless you can prove you voted, that is.

Oh, wait. I'm retired.