Should national election day be moved to the weekend or made a holiday?

[Seawytch]

I am also a huge proponent of Same Day voter registration (which the CA legislature just passed as well).

Same here. But even that is something that has to be defended. The newly Republican legislature and governor eliminated it in Maine in 2011, only to have the voters reinstate it via referendum last November.

See, that's the kind of shit I just don't get. Rolling back early voting hours, stopping same day registration and passing laws making it more difficult to register voters.

 

[zeke]

I like tradition. I like shared history. I like Ike and I like voting on Tuesdays.

Gives the day a nice focus and lets you shoot the shit about voting with your other co workers who come back with that little "I Voted Today" sticker.

But on line voting would result in the ability to completely manipulate the vote. Bad news IMO.

 

[Seawytch]

I like tradition. I like shared history. I like Ike and I like voting on Tuesdays.

Gives the day a nice focus and lets you shoot the shit about voting with your other co workers who come back with that little "I Voted Today" sticker.

But on line voting would result in the ability to completely manipulate the vote. Bad news IMO.

If you aren't in your 60s or older, you better get used to the idea of online voting. It's being used in other countries and even here for small elections. We used in our county for a Retirement Board Election and it worked great.

Remember, "kids these days" are growing up with some kind of gadget permanently affixed to their hairy little palms. They will be the ones to bring about online voting. It can work and it can be secure.

 

[Wry Catcher]

The week-end, both Saturday and Sunday, the first Sunday after the first Saturday in November.

Of course we have larger problems to solve, the greatest threat as we stand is the GOP's effort to prevent 'voter fraud' by throwing out the baby with the bath water.

 

[zeke]

If you aren't in your 60s or older, you better get used to the idea of online voting. It's being used in other countries and even here for small elections. We used in our county for a Retirement Board Election and it worked great.

I watched a segment on TV about how washington DC was going to use online voting. The Mayor issued a challenge to all hackers to try and hack the system they put in place. Took the hackers something like 36 hours to completely OWN the system.

Washington scrapped the idea.

When countries can't protect their own vital national security computer systems, what chance would we have of protecting our votes from online hackers?

oh and btw, Amercia has some of the most vulnerable systems.

And as I tell my kids, that little electronic gadget is just that, an electronic gadget. It is not the end all be all of the world. IMO.

But I am old and like tradition and shared history.

 

[Seawytch]

If you aren't in your 60s or older, you better get used to the idea of online voting. It's being used in other countries and even here for small elections. We used in our county for a Retirement Board Election and it worked great.

I watched a segment on TV about how washington DC was going to use online voting. The Mayor issued a challenge to all hackers to try and hack the system they put in place. Took the hackers something like 36 hours to completely OWN the system.

Washington scrapped the idea.

When countries can't protect their own vital national security computer systems, what chance would we have of protecting our votes from online hackers?

oh and btw, Amercia has some of the most vulnerable systems.

And as I tell my kids, that little electronic gadget is just that, an electronic gadget. It is not the end all be all of the world. IMO.

But I am old and like tradition and shared history.

There you go, you just admitted that you are old. It ain't gonna be long before online voting is a reality. Mark my words, old man, it's a gonna happen

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

It doesn't take a day to get from anywhere to a voting booth.

And farmers don't have days off.

Great. So no need to schedule voting day around the schedule of farmers. I'm glad we're agree.

only liberals would demand a day off to take 10 minutes to vote.

10 minutes?

It took 8 hours at the Xavier University of Louisiana polling precint in 2004. That's not 10 minutes. Its 480 minutes.

Then someone isn't doing their job properly.

everytime, the longest part is them finding my name.

Leave work, 10 - 20 to get too polling, 5 to find parking, 1 to walk in, 2 in line, 3 verifying who I am, 1 wait for booth, 3 to vote.

max = 35 minuts, 10 w/o drive time

Oh well shit, if it only takes 35 minutes for YOU to vote, I think we should base our national laws on that. Your life is the most important one.

I'd lodge a complaint if I was you

"Lodge a complaint"

LOL !!! You think no one did? LOL?!?!

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

Should national election day be moved to the weekend?

Poll pending....

explain answer.



MY response:

YES. Tuesday as national voting day is way out dated. Sorry but how many of you live on farms? How many of you that do live on farms require more than a day to get to the nearest voting booth?

Voting day should obviously be on a Saturday - or at least made a national holiday.


EDIT: I should have added another option "leave it to the states to decide"

For me it is all about increasing voter turnout and I just don't see how making it a holiday will increase voter turnout. In fact, I see the opposite happening. Saturday, same thing.

More people have off work from Saturday than Tuesday.

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

You can not be Penalized for Missing work to Vote,

What fantasy land you live in? That's like saying "You can't be murdered". Yes, there are laws against it - but it still happens!

Especially if you live in a so-called "right to work" state.

Wo do you think the judge will believe? The wage employee, who claims he was fired for taking time off work to vote - or the boss (who donates to his campaign fund) who says that he fired you for being lazy and insubordinate?

"right to work" means the boss has the "right to fire" you for just about ANYTHING - this means that it makes it all the more easier to fire you for the few things he's not allowed to fire you for.



DUH


Real world.

welcome to it!

What dumbass land are you from?

Polls open early and stay open late. No one needs to leave/skip work to vote.

wow, just fucking wow

Must be nice to have never had to work a 12 hour shift in your life.

 

[Skull Pilot]

Election day should be moved to the day after tax day. And payroll tax deductions should be ended.

It would be interesting to see how people would vote the day after they had to send a big fat check to the fucking government.

Most people over pay and get checks back from the government.

Most people are fucking idiots who give the fucking government an interest free loan every year

That's why payroll deduction should be ended.,

As an employer I'm sick and fucking tired of working as a government tax collector and not getting paid for it.

Let people pay their own fucking taxes.

 

[Article 15]

True Lewe, but I still think one day should be a national holiday; I know some people who say they could not vote due to their work schedules.

Then they are either to stupid to vote, to lazy to vote or LYING. I don't know a single State that does not allow early voting or absentee ballots. Since they are your friends one would assume they are lefties which means the third choice is probably the correct one.

Thanks again for never failing to bring the unintentional irony ruckus, Sarge.

 

[Article 15]

The GOP would fight tooth and nail against what the OP proposes. They prefer a low voter turnout.

 

[FJO]

Voting should be made mandatory (Like Jury Duty) and available online.

You can't legislate responsibility.

Mandatory voting always results in irresponsible winners. Witness all the formerly communist countries, or for that matter, the former Soviet Union, itself.

Or for a kinder and gentler, but still irresponsible Labor governments of Australia.

 

[Avatar4321]

No. We are idle as a people as it is. And sacrifice is part of exercising our rights. We are blessed for making sacrifice.

 

[Avatar4321]

Voting should be made mandatory (Like Jury Duty) and available online.

People are excused from Jury duty all the time. It's hardly mandatory.

BTW Voting online? Seriously? You want to make the process any more corruptable? Votes dont matter. All that matters is you hack the website to support your guy.

You realize that if we voted online Ron Paul would be the President indefinitely right? Even without the hacking.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

I didn't say you didn't want stop lights.

I said - by your logic - we shouldn't need them. Is there anything wrong with stop signs?

My logic is simple, it if works we should leave it alone unless we actually find something better. You have provided no evidence that it is better.

Ever see a stop sign on a really busy intersection? Once you do you will never ask why we need stoplights again.

Saturday is better because it makes it easier for most people to get to the polls.

Duh..

That's the same logic they used when they set it at Tuesday.

Why don't you just admit you don't have a real reason for wanting to change it and admit you don't like it because it is old?

 

[Quantum Windbag]

The 12 hour shift is extremely common. Especially in industrial settings. Hospitals, too.

Evidence of what? That Saturday would be a more convenient day for most Americans to vote than Tuesday?



I'm sorry but why shouldn't we hold our elections on the day most convenient for us? The people in 1845 who made election day Tueday chose Tuesday because it was the most convenient day for most of the people - why can't we choose the day most convenient to us? Is the answer "just because" ? That's BRILLIANT!

12 hour shifts are extremely uncommon, I should know.

You still have not answered the most basic question with anything other than anecdotal evidence. Why is Tuesday more inconvenient than Saturday? Give some actual data to back your position up.

You want evidence that more people work on Tuesday than on Saturday?


I'm the post-doctoral researcher in astrophysics, I'M the one whose supposed to be disconnected from the "real world" !

No, I want evidence that doing it on Tuesday reduces turnout. You have blathered on for pages and not yet provided a single real reason to change it.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

It doesn't matter what the topic being discussed is.......it seems that nutters will always fall on the side of stupid.

It is nothing but pure common sense to make election day a national holiday.

If it is common sense you should have no trouble providing a real reason. If, on the other hand, it is actually nothing but wishful thinking, all you will be able to do is call me a nutter for not agreeing with you.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Should national election day be moved to the weekend?

Poll pending....

explain answer.



MY response:

YES. Tuesday as national voting day is way out dated. Sorry but how many of you live on farms? How many of you that do live on farms require more than a day to get to the nearest voting booth?

Voting day should obviously be on a Saturday - or at least made a national holiday.


EDIT: I should have added another option "leave it to the states to decide"

For me it is all about increasing voter turnout and I just don't see how making it a holiday will increase voter turnout. In fact, I see the opposite happening. Saturday, same thing.

Finally, someone with a lick of brains.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Most of the states that insist on an excuse for absentee voting and do not allow early voting are traditionally Democratic.

Are you sure about that?

The states with no in person early voting allowed:

Alabama
Connecticut
Michigan
Missouri
New Hampshire
Rhode Island

States that require an absentee "excuse":

Delaware
Georgia
Kentucky
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Mississippi
New York
South Carolina
Virginia
Early Voting Rules

Looks like a fair mix of both Democratic and Republican States...

Your list is incomplete.
MN, MI, PA, NY, MO, KY, VA, MS, AL, SC, DE, RI, CT, NH, and MA are the 15 states that meet both of the criteria I laid out. I count 9 of those as D. That is 60%, which totally destroys the person I was responding to that insisted that Republicans are the boogeyman here. Add in the fact that 4 of the 7 states that allow permanent absentee balloting are R and it makes even less sense.