Potential Wedge Issue - Federal Election Day Holiday

[SeekingTruth]

How about some input on this thought of mine...

I think the Democrats should push for a Federal Election Day Holiday. What is more important than voting? My thought on this is that for those 50 percent that don't vote, Democrats would receive more of their vote if any of them voted rather than the Republicans.

Also, I think Republicans would fight such a holiday for a variety of reasons. One would be from the angle of big business and their claim of a loss of revenue and being forced to pay holiday pay.

Then the Democrats could pull out the patriotism hammer and pound them by saying, "what is more patriotic than giving ALL Americans an opportunity to vote?"

Labor would be happy with another day off with increased pay and as a country we would all be better off by proclaiming to the world how seriously we take democracy.

Thoughts?

[ClassWarrior]

1. YES!

[klook]

2. Yes

Of course, the Republicans will oppose this, because if everybody voted they'd lose every time in almost every place.

They might also say, "OK, let's nix the MLK holiday and Labor Day {the two holidays that most stick in their craw} and use those for two voting day holidays each year." And/or they'd push for a Reagan's birthday holiday. All of which would show them up as the dividers-not-uniters that they are.

edited to add parenthetical statement

[mitchtv]

3. good idea, however a country this size needs

all weekend. I would perfer a paid day off though.

[klook]

6. Weekend is good

Venezuela had their election on Sunday. Don't other countries do this? Having local elections and primaries on Saturday only, and national elections on Saturday and Sunday, seems like a good idea to me.

[bluestateguy]

11. You run into problems with religion there

Sunday is of course, Sunday, and Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, so you surely would run into objetcions from religious leaders who might charge discrimination.

[bluestateguy]

4. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) has a bill to do just that

You might also want to move election day to Wed. to discourage people from going on vaction for a long weekend.

A holiday has to mean business. No business, save for places of emergency services, can be open on election day. Otherwise all the white collar people will get the day off while blue collar people are forced to work.

[NewHampshireDem]

5. I've been arguing that since Sept. 11th ... what more perfect way

to mark the anniversary of that tragedy than to practice the power of democracy?

[The empressof all]

7. I recall .....

I recall getting a day off from school on election day when I was in grade school in New Jersey. Perhaps it was just a district holiday since they used the schools as polling places-but I think I remember my Dad having election day off as well.

Is my memory failing or does anyone else recall this as well

[MrSlayer]

8. Every election day is a holiday in my union.

We go out and work the polls on every election day. We don't get paid though. In construction you don't get paid holidays since everything is based on production. As much as I hate losing the day's pay I think it's important to help the elderly and others who have no way to get to the polls out to vote.

[bluestateguy]

10. That's what I try and do

I cancel my office hours, schedule no appoinments, do no errands (save for a trip to the grocery store to get food) and I may let my class out early that day.

But it needs to be a national holiday because working class people who get their hands dirty for a living do not have that kind of control over their work schedules as a white collar person.

[Fridays Child]

9. Yes!

[Kazak]

12. Great idea!

I'm all for it.

[Jaybird]

13. my wife is UAW

works at Chrysler....they don't work on election day

[Zorra]

14. Agreed, excellent idea! n/t