STUPID STUPID STUPID.
No, not making it a holiday. MOVING IT FURTHER INTO NOVEMBER! STUPID!
It's bad enough that people stay home because "it's raining"/"it's cold".
Move it back before Halloween, to Columbus Day. That's a Monday, it makes a nice tidy three-day weekend. The weather's better, too.
posted by Guest at 12:49 A.M. EST on Sat Feb 19, 2005 #
No, not making it a holiday. MOVING IT FURTHER INTO NOVEMBER! STUPID!
That would be a good idea for the big government types. If the election were held later in November, this would prevent some senior citizens from voting that would have voted if the election were held when the weather was better. The local governments don’t like this demographic voting too much because seniors tend to vote against tax levies. The other thing that would happen is that all public employees would get the day off while most private sector employees would not, it would be like president’s day. Which party do the public employees unions always encourage their members to vote for anyway?
If the federal government wanted to encourage more people to vote, the most cost effective solution would just be just to make voting more convenient. This could be done by hiring a few more poll workers, buying a few more voting machines, and allowing Internet voting. All three solutions would come at a much lower cost than giving every government employee a paid day off once a year.
posted by mike2004 at 08:35 A.M. EST on Sun Feb 20, 2005 #
I think the weather is the lamest excuse we use for not voting. It's a convenient out. Hold the election in July and people could say it's too hot to go outside.
When the weather is much worse in January, people still somehow make it to the malls, the eateries, the movie theaters, and the bars.
My wife used to routinely help out at bingo, and the place wasn't loaded with a bunch of under-30 people. The players showed up for bingo even when the weather was horrible.
posted by jr at 10:41 A.M. EST on Sun Feb 20, 2005 #
1. A national election holiday is a good idea. It should, however, apply to everyone, not just government workers. The economy wouldn't come screeching to a halt if we worked a few less days, despite the whining of corporate America. Europeans work 2-3 weeks less per year than us, and still manage to stay competitive. Maybe it's because they are better rested.
2. I also like the idea of allowing ex-felonds to vote. They have paid their dues, so there is no reason why they should be permanently barred from civic life. Besides, with all of the corporate execs doing time right now, I doubt the Dems would still have an edge among ex-cons.
posted by historymike at 02:38 P.M. EST on Sun Feb 20, 2005 #
An election-day holiday is an aspect of most industrialized democracies ... except for the United States. The USA still has significant labor-hostile elements. Anyone who has at least read Howard Zinn would know that we workers are under a constant threat of loss of rights.
I'm sure that in 2008, people will be standing in line in Cleveland for up to 10 hours to vote, since the Republicans in Columbus will not want such Democrat-prone districts voting as easily as I did when I wandered into my precinct in West Toledo. Voting machines will still be withheld from certain areas. This is about as easy to predict as saying "snow will fall next winter sometime". Making the day a holiday simply doesn't fit into the Republican plan of utter domination.
(Don't get me wrong. I'm equally sure that another army of Democrat lawyers will show up in Columbus in 2008 when the 3rd-party petitions arrive, just to nickel-and-dime them to death to make sure the Democrat vote isn't fractured. Note to Democratic Party: I didn't get to vote for Nader in 2004, and I'm going to remember THAT for the rest of my life, you can just bet.)
posted by GuestZero at 03:57 P.M. EST on Sun Feb 20, 2005 #
An Election holiday? Sure, IF we can assure ourselves that everyone claimiing the day off had indeed voted. No vote - No Pay. You turn in a sticker or a receipt.
No job? No reason NOT to vote.
The vote for convicted felons? Sure, after:
1. Sentence served in full.
2. Total restitution has been paid and proved.
3. You killed someone? You can vote when your victim can again.
Fair nuff.
posted by Hooda_Thunkit at 02:43 P.M. EST on Tue Feb 22, 2005 #
Amen, hooda!
posted by Mraz at 03:07 P.M. EST on Fri Feb 25, 2005 #
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