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Noley
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 Posted: 11/04/04 - 18:41 Post subject: Poll not poll: Voting Holiday?
Do you feel that major election days (like Tuesday) should be made a National Holiday?
If I didn't make the effort to go to my precinct twice on Tuesday...I would not have voted. Even that second trip there was a stretch. I had a small window of time that day to get in and do so. I cannot take time off from work to vote, nor be late to my job ever. My children had extracurricular activities to do that evening which gave me little time after work to vote as well. I barely got in that day.
I sure wish it was made a holiday so I could get there without the crunch for time and I could wait in line with no problem.
I believe there would be a higher voter turn out as well.
What are your thoughts?
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Cappy
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Posted: 11/04/04 - 19:00 Post subject:
Yes I think it would be a good idea.
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gretriever
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Posted: 11/04/04 - 20:33 Post subject:
No. I don't think you'd get that much of an increase in turnout.
Maybe the other states should look at Oregon. All by mail - no booths. The only way to increase turnout is to make voting mandatory - I think this is done in Australia. But this would never fly here.
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gocubbies
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Posted: 11/04/04 - 20:41 Post subject: voting in Ecuador
Here in Ecuador all voting takes place on a Sunday, and the poor folks that get stuck working the tables get Monday off. Several friends who saw the lines on tv couldn't believe that we have millions of people trying to go to vote on a weekday.
Here voting is mandatory too. If you don't vote, you don't get a certain little card which you need in order to do various govt. paperwork, one of which is the "permission slip" that you need in order to leave the country, among others.
Around this time of year it always makes for a good debate topic with my 10th graders to what extent a 'democracy' means you must vote.
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copteacher
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Posted: 11/04/04 - 21:23 Post subject:
yeah I think it should be.
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sonnylax
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Posted: 11/05/04 - 00:45 Post subject:
It sounds like a decent idea. But the costs are very high to businesses. Therefore, I don't think it should be another federal holiday. (Unless folks wanted to give up one of their existing holidays. No free lunch.)
And I don't think it would increase voter turnout. There are multiple ways to vote these days (on election day, absentee ballot). You can even vote in your freaking car if you are that lazy in FLA. Many folks would use it as an excuse for another long weekend vacation ala Labor Day or Memorial Day. 
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RexRacer
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Posted: 11/05/04 - 10:16 Post subject:
| sonnylax wrote: | It sounds like a decent idea. But the costs are very high to businesses. Therefore, I don't think it should be another federal holiday. (Unless folks wanted to give up one of their existing holidays. No free lunch.)
And I don't think it would increase voter turnout. There are multiple ways to vote these days (on election day, absentee ballot). You can even vote in your freaking car if you are that lazy in FLA. Many folks would use it as an excuse for another long weekend vacation ala Labor Day or Memorial Day. |
Valid points, but there may be ways around them.
I am generally in favor of the holiday, btw.
I think it was suggested in another thread to move voting day to mid-week and not toward the weekend to avoid the longweekend holiday syndrome.
But really, in this day of uber-convenience and commerce how could one actually mandate the holiday? I can still go shopping or to the movies or the 7-11 on Christmas Day if I want. Federal holidays generally only apply to federal workers essentially, unless the states choose to follow along, but we're still talking govt. workers only.
Would you all suggest a carrot (e.g.,tax-credits if employers give the day off) or stick (some penalty, likely monetary) approach?
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Cappy
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Posted: 11/05/04 - 10:38 Post subject:
| RexRacer wrote: |
Would you all suggest a carrot (e.g.,tax-credits if employers give the day off) or stick (some penalty, likely monetary) approach? |
How about a company just doing it for its civic duty
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AlaninTX
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Posted: 11/05/04 - 10:44 Post subject:
If you make it national holiday, do you abolish early voting? Otherwise, people could vote early, and just get the day off. And if you abolish early voting--where something like 20-30 percent of people voted--I think the lines at the polls would become more nightmarish in many places. And you could probably forget about knowing the outcome on Tuesday.
I don't think it is a good idea.
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Cappy
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Posted: 11/05/04 - 10:48 Post subject:
How about moving voting to a Saturday. Most people are off anyways
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cherylpf
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Posted: 11/05/04 - 11:25 Post subject:
I'm with Alan, I prefer early voting to a voting holiday, but I guess its a state by state issue since I don't think a majority of the nation has early voting as an option. But without early voting, I can see how getting to the polls would be tough.
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sonnylax
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Posted: 11/05/04 - 11:28 Post subject:
| Cappy wrote: | | How about a company just doing it for its civic duty |
I know many companies here in ATL allow folks to come in late or leave early to vote without penalty. I believe there is already some type of Federal law which mandates time away from your job to vote in any election.
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sonnylax
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Posted: 11/05/04 - 11:31 Post subject:
| Cappy wrote: | | How about moving voting to a Saturday. Most people are off anyways |
Don't mess with college football Saturdays in the Fall Cappy. Them there are fighting words. No one would vote in the South and you Northeast liberals would finally get what you want! 
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Pug
The Movie Geek
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Posted: 11/05/04 - 11:46 Post subject:
| sonnylax wrote: |
I know many companies here in ATL allow folks to come in late or leave early to vote without penalty. I believe there is already some type of Federal law which mandates time away from your job to vote in any election. |
We can vote early and come in late without penalty or loss of paid hours in Minnesota, but I don't believe we can leave early.
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gretriever
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Posted: 11/05/04 - 12:13 Post subject:
| sonnylax wrote: |
I believe there is already some type of Federal law which mandates time away from your job to vote in any election. |
We get all of a half-hour off to vote. But they interpret this to you have to use it in conjunction with your lunch hour. Meaning, if you live that close to you job, you get the time off. If not, TFB.
I fall in the latter.
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