Should the US election day be a day off work?

Actually mail-in ballots would do just fine.

Saturday elections.

[quote]I think making a Tuesday a holiday will just make more people take Monday off

Simple solution, make election day on the weekend.

This should’ve been a poll.

Voter turnout? Such a quaint and old fashioned idea

Weekend voting would be an improvement, but I disagree that it would be better than making election days federal holidays.

By making a 'normal workday' into a day off, specifically for voting, it brings the issue of voting to the forefront of people's minds and makes it more of a topic of conversation. And that would increase voter turn-out somewhat in-and-of-itself. If anyone has ever done get-out-the-vote (GOTV) volunteering, they know that a large part of voter turn-out boils down to merely reminding people that an election is happening and that it's happening on that particular day...

[quote] Saturday elections

Nope. Jews will say it’s unconstitutional because it interferes with the sabbath. Can’t do Sunday because Christians will say it interferes with Sabbath. Better to get rid of shit holidays like Columbus Day & Robt E Lee’s birthday and make Election Day the day after Veterans Day.

Awesome 4 day weekend.

Do it, Joe.

Why get rid of any holidays at all?

That’s corporate thought. “Well, if they’re getting a holiday, we have to take one back.”

I call bullshit. Make Election Day a holiday for all, regardless of what other holidays they have.

My employer gives us two hours off to vote. That's enough. I never use it anyway because I've been mailing my vote in for well over a decade now.

Yes, it should. We can swap out Columbus day.

Yes.

If we had Universal Mail-In Voting, it wouldn't really be an issue.

[quote] Yes, it should. We can swap out Columbus day.

Again, why swap out anything?

Why can’t us peons get an additional holiday to perform our civic obligation? Why must something be given back to a company?

No wonder pensions are gone nowadays.

[quote]By making a 'normal workday' into a day off, specifically for voting, it brings the issue of voting to the forefront of people's minds and makes it more of a topic of conversation.

No, it doesn't. People feel they have a day off to do what they want. It certainly doesn't encourage people to vote. If you want to do that, make voting compulsory, as it is in Australia.

[quote]Our right to vote is under siege

In the US, voting is not a right. It's a privilege, which can be rescinded while felons serve their sentences.

No because some people will lose much needed pay. Not everyone works a great job where they get paid holidays and the November/December months are already very hard on the paycheck.

Are they also giving holidays for primary elections?

[quote]My employer gives us two hours off to vote. That's enough.

It’s great that this works for you but it wouldn’t work nationwide.

Voting districts are determined by our legal residency, not our workplace. The length of a voter’s round-trip commute to their polling place and/or their mode of transportation would make this an an impossibility for many people. Also, not all employers provide commuter benefits, many people who use public transportation would have an additional travel expense.

[quote] Are they also giving holidays for primary elections?

In New York, your employer is required to give three hours paid time off either at the start or the end of your day (their choice which one) for ANY public election. They also cannot require proof you actually voted.

It’s a fairly new law and they kind of screwed up a little in their wording, since even hypothetically a local Fire Commissioner election is a “public election.”

If Catholic countries like Italy, Austria, France and Belgium can vote on Sundays, I think the US could switch, too.

In Georgia, for the past 2 election cycles at least, in the Atlanta area, there has been voting at quite a few public libraries, on weekdays until about 7 p.m., and all day on Saturdays (and maybe even Sundays), for the TWO FULL WEEKS up until Election Day. If that isn't convenient enough for EVERY registered voter's schedule, I'd like to know why. It's essentially a two week voting period. No holiday needed, no special time off required, there were NO long lines to vote, you just walk in and do it. I'm not opposed to a day off to vote, but as OP points out, turning that week into a 4-day holiday weekend defeats the purpose and encourages folks to not show up at all.

In countries like Germany elections are held on a Sunday where most businesses are closed. They start at 8 am and close at 6 pm.

I cannot see why a country like the US, which prides itself to be one of the driving forces of democracy, cannot manage to do that. Oh, wait: Republicans. My bad.

In Virginia we now do early voting, mail in voting, and election day is a holiday. I am a strong advocate for making voting as easy as possible. These changes have been wonderful and they benefit all voters, not just democrats. Republicans like to vote early and mail in their votes just like everyone else.

Agree with making it easy as possible and not cramming it all into one day. Also, it would be a good use of money to restore polling locations previously closed, restore dropboxes (and make fake/party supported dropboxes illegal and fineable).

I remember back in the 1960s, when I was a kid, my parents' employers gave them the day off for election day. That all changed in the 1970s. And now we have government actively trying to obstruct voting. God, this country has changed a lot in my lifetime.

[quote] In New York, your employer is required to give three hours paid time off either at the start or the end of your day (their choice which one) for ANY public election.

Which is great if you have a good employer. What about those who won’t give the time or pay?

Why don't they just make into another three-day weekend type of thing? Start on a Friday, but keep polls open until Sunday at midnight, or start on a Saturday morning, and end on a Monday at midnight, or whatever.

There are businesses/jobs that simply cannot close for a whole day. Hospitals, pharmacies, gas stations, buses/public transport, police/firefighters/EMTs, so on and so forth. Making it a weekend thing, rather than a one day thing would make it available to a much wider group of people without a huge disruption, for most people and businesses.

Yes it should be a federal holiday.

Things have to be more flexible. Taking a half-day or a day off for voting is a good idea. If people still choose not to vote, that's on them. It will make it easier on everyone else. Mail in voting works brilliantly, that should be available to everyone in every state. Early voting, weekend voting, all kinds of voting options are possible and we should take advantage of all of them.

Voting is more important than most things American citizens do. Support it.

[quote] Which is great if you have a good employer. What about those who won’t give the time or pay?

Perhaps you didn’t understand the word “required” in my post?

It’s a law in New York.

So literally every single institution shuts down in New York on election day? There is not a single cab, subway station, hospital, not a single police officer, 911 operator, emergency vet, food bank, hotel employee that is available in New York for one entire day?

Yes, dumb as fuck asshole r31, that's what it must mean!

It means that on Christmas and Thanksgiving and 4th of July, right? Oh no wait...

You're a moron. I hope you're an only child, your parents already have a lot to answer for.

Most of those things are not closed on any holiday.

No, r32, you muppet.

Why would you think everyone gets off during the same timeframe?

I said an employer is required to give three hours off at the beginning or the end of the employee’s day, with the company deciding which end. Not everyone in every company all around the state leave at the same time or for that matter arrive at the same time.

Though there was almost a major problem at the MTA when the entire force wanted to take the three hours. The MTA offered them premiums to not take the day.

R34 is meant for r31, with apologies to r32.

OP the "people will just take Monday off and make it a long weekend" people are not the ones that are targeted with something like a national holiday for voting. It's the people who can't just take off a Monday, much less a Tuesday, and vote. It sounds like you're looking at it from your perspective in the middle class, which is fine, but a holiday isn't going to make much of a difference in voting for the middle class. It's the lower classes that will benefit the most.

People would just stay home or go to the mall.

No worries, R35, I had to go back and double-check myself but I figured it was for the dipshit.

Who are these people anyway? Do they not understand the concept of holidays and that the world continues to function during them?

Dumb fucking trolls.

The people who vote on election day instead of voting early are Republicans.

Yes. Also, early voting and mail in ballots should be done nationally.

[quote] Perhaps you didn’t understand the word “required” in my post? It’s a law in New York.

Oh yes and every employer follows the law. And nobody is worried about losing their job for complaining that they didn’t receive the benefit. And everyone is rich enough to file a lawsuit when a company does wrong. And the New York justice system works with lightening speed to ensure that these companies are dealt with appropriately when laws are broken. 🙄

[quote] the New York justice system works with lightening speed

Beats darkening speed.

R41 so you're just going to complain no matter what, is that it?

I see you’re doubling down on your stupidity, r41.

Sure, throughout a state as large as New York, I’m certain there are employers who don’t follow the law, but they do so at their peril.

And one need not sue their employer, but merely call the Department of Labor about it. They don’t even have to give their name, so the employer wouldn’t know who it was anyway.

Does every law enacted work for every circumstance one can possibly conceive of? Of course not. But it’s a start.

In most other countries it’s a public holiday or weekend. So that EVERYONE has a chance to vote. So yes, it should be a day off to perform your most important civic duty. People died fighting for the right to vote yet Americans don’t give a fuck.

If you can vote by mail, why does anyone need a day off for voting. Make all states mail in voting, you won't have the problem of voter intimidation, long lines, voting machines not working, plus you will have a paper ballot for every vote, no worries about machines changing votes, machine malfunctioning. Days off are great, but we don't need another in November, plus the majority of businesses don't close on federal holidays, many people will still have to work.

[quote] If you can vote by mail, why does anyone need a day off for voting.

[quote]Days off are great, but we don't need another in November,

R46 would have us working 7 days a week, 12 hours a day. And NO OVERTIME!

I’m curious, were any of your ancestors managers for the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory?

No. Because government workers will get the day off. People who work corporate office jobs will get the day off. Some trades will get the day off. But fast food and retail workers will be pressured to work even longer hours to accommodate all the people who have the day off.

I remember seeing a post on social media that predicted what will happen: influencers will post photos of themselves sipping their cocktails in a bar with the hashtag #civilduty while the people who served them worked extra hours and had a harder time voting.

Of course it should be a holiday. But our current political climate will never let that happen. One party, the Dems, want to increase the % of eligible voters' participation. The other party, who have managed to have power disproportionate to their numbers, wants to limit and suppress voting as much as possible.

One of the principal parties of the 200 year old democracy prefers power over democracy.

R47 You really have a wild imagination, no where in my post did I even closely allude to anything that your mind conjured up. Those are your thoughts not mine.

Since you seem somewhat reading challenged let me state once again, many people already have two days off in November, most people would rather have another holiday in say August a month without a holiday instead of another in November on a Tuesday.

Mail in voting would assure everyone could vote without a day off, giving a person a day off sure doesn't insure they will vote and millions of people wouldn't get that new day off just like they don't get off on the other federal holidays.

Now go use that wild imagination for something good instead of claiming someone wants something they don't.

R15, no, it is a right. Republicans want to claim it's a privilege because they love voter suppression

[quote] doesn't insure they will vote

Oh, dear.

[quote] let me state once again, many people already have two days off in November, most people would rather have another holiday in say August a month without a holiday instead of another in November on a Tuesday.

So why not both?

[quote]Mail in voting would assure everyone could vote without a day off,

Because god forbid they should get a day off to handle it. No, handle it on your own time before or after work.

[quote]giving a person a day off sure doesn't insure they will vote

Neither does not giving them a day off and doing strictly mail-in.

[quote]and millions of people wouldn't get that new day off just like they don't get off on the other federal holidays.

So let’s not pressure them to give that day off to their workers. We wouldn’t want to upset our corporate overlords, now, would we?

Is it any wonder the current state of affairs in the country is the way it is? No pensions, workers must pay for their healthcare. People are so ready to protect the corporation and give up their asses for a gig job instead of standing together and insisting corporations do the right thing and provide benefits, pensions, and time off.

Anyone who is advocating AGAINST a paid holiday, regardless of the reason for it, is no friend of the working man.

The USA Today article touched on some of this, but Tuesday was picked originally because the founding fathers setting up the system wanted to be sure that a voter's mind wasn't too influenced by their church (so no voting on Sunday, right after a sermon) nor their employer (no voting on Friday, right after getting wages).

Mail in voting works just fine - I've lived in two different states now that have had it, and the system was easy and secure. I found it easier and had more faith in its correct tabulation than I did with some of the electronic ballot machines I voted on in person a few years back.

I have no problem with granting people a day off for voting; some states currently require employers to permit employees to vote during working hours but I think they only allow for a three hour absence - which as we know may not cut it for some of the long lines created by huge turnout and voter disenfranchisement.

Yes, and rethugs will fight it tooth and nail because it expands the voter base which doesn't benefit them.

People who can afford or obtain time off from work to vote likely skew in rethug favor compared to the eligible voter base as a whole.

Yes, the Repugs would love it if we could narrow it down to property owners voting.

Like R14 said, make voting compulsory. That would do it (and more).

[quote] SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KABC) -- Gov. Gavin Newsom Wednesday vetoed a bill that would have allowed farmworkers to vote by mail in union elections, a move met by criticism and protest from the United Farm Workers union.

[quote] Newsom said Assembly Bill 616 contained inconsistencies related to the collection and review of ballot cards.

Democrats don't care about voting rights, only about maintaining their political power. How else do you explain the utter hypocrisy?

[quote] Jeff Bezos — a strong Democratic supporter — and Amazon are aiming to postpone a unionization vote at one of its warehouses in Alabama, the Wall Street Journal reports. Interestingly, Amazon has requested that the National Labor Relations Board reconsider allowing mail-in voting, claiming that the mail-in voting process has “serious and systemic flaws.”

In this case, they are right. People need to request a mail in ballot.