Former Atlanta mayor and U.N. ambassador Andrew Young is co-chairman of a new group called “Why Tuesday? Let’s Move the Vote,” Washington Post columnist David Broder noted. The group wants to switch Election Day to the weekend in an attempt to increase participation. The Tuesday date was established by Congress 160 years ago when it took some farmers more than a day to travel by horse and buggy to the county seat. I’m open to changing the date and modernizing voting methods, such as Internet or mail-in voting. But I also think that most people who really want to vote can do so now.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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28 Comments
Keep it on Tuesday but pass a law that election day will be a state holiday IF the turnout for that particular election was greater than 70% in the prior cycle…primaries excluded. I think we’d see a lot more voters at the polls with a little incentive.
Yeah, freedom isn’t enough of an incentive.
Apparently not, since election turnout is horribly low cycle after cycle. You can be pragmatic and try to come up with a way to motivate people to vote or you can stand on principle and let turnout remain mired in the 50-60% range. I’m a pragmatist.
I know Brian, we can offer voters a couple of gallons of free gasoline for participation, on the oil companies excess profits reduction plan that we’ll never see.Nice dream, and we could handle two issues at once.
I’m not sure if holding the election on Tuesdays is the problem of voter turnout. Most likely voter apathy.
Primary elections are really low, and city elections have exteremly low turnout.
Let the people who are engage vote, people who don’t want to, let them stay at home.
Have you ever seen Jay Leno’s man on the street interview? You will be surprised how many people don’t even know who the Vice President is.
I’m actually for a voters test. Although I know it is somewhat against the voters rights act, but I wouldn’t mind if informed voters were making the choices of our country, and not bums who were enticed with cigarettes to vote for Gore (remember that one)
We should model a test exactly like the Naturalization Test. I mean, if immigrants to be citizens must take the test, why not natural born citizens to get a voters card?
I remember Georgia wanted people to show photo ID at the booth, yet they prompt the Democrats to call it against voters rights act. :rolleyes:
Also! They wanted children as young as 14 to vote, and immigrants.
All in all, I believe it is fine the way we have it. As long as their is no fraud, like Detriot undergoing alligation of fraud for thounsands of invisible and dead people, and people trying to keep provisional, military, mail-in ballots away, then I believe it’s ok.
I would rather have quality voters than a large quantity of voters. The last Presidential elections we had record turnouts, but most people were voting on one issue (whatever that was). Look at the mess it has us in now. Too many people voting with emotion instead of their brain; and the polititians are working it to their advantage by putting on a good show.
Brian, how do we know that the turnout will be greater than 70% before the voting itself?
A compromise maybe to move it a day earlier to Monday AND declare it federal/state holiday, or half-day if you really want to work that badly.
Roo,
I suggested based on the previous election…not the current one.
The movement for the past 175 years has been to increase the franchise towards total inclusion. If the suggestion is now that it’s good if “uneducated” people don’t show up, then you’re automatically assuming that people who vote are somehow ‘better’ or more informed than those who don’t, and in essence you’re advocating a return to some sort of qualification for voting..maybe property, maybe literacy, maybe those who can pay a poll tax, or maybe those who will vote the way you want.
I think moving election days to Saturday is a great idea. But I agree that the problem with low numbers at the polls on election days is due to voter apathy.
The U.S. needs to update it’s antiquated election policies – what I would really like to see them do away with is the Electoral College – there is no longer a need for it – and being a voting Democrate in a Red State – my vote would actually count for something!
I think moving election days to Saturday is a great idea. But I agree that the problem with low numbers at the polls on election days is due to voter apathy.
The U.S. needs to update it’s antiquated election policies – what I would really like to see them do away with is the Electoral College – there is no longer a need for it – and being a voting Democrate in a Red State – my vote would actually count for something!
I agree with you, Brian. Voting has to include every citizen. If some sort of qualifying criteria is imposed, it will most likely alienate the poor, disabled, and others with little or no voice. Inclusion is the democratic way and with this administration we’ve turned our backs enough on the ideals that our country has stood for.What we need to focus more on is honesty, integrity, and accountability in the campaign process.
VC, great idea. Maybe more people would vote if they actually believed it made a difference.
Most poor folk (the Democratic constituency), like me, usually have to work on saturday.Hmmm………
Monday, anyone? A 3-day weekend?
Yes, and you likely have to work on Tuesday as well.
I like the idea of moving it to Saturday. I think more people wouldn’t feel the pinch in their schedules.
I think that there is this doubt in that back of people’s minds that says that their vote doen’t matter, why should they vote? They think that the polical process is too big and that only special interest groups and lobbyists are the one’s who get what they want.
I was involved in a union organizing initiative that lost by 1 vote. It’s easy to say your vote doesn’t count, but just maybe……I think we should institute a science test as a requirement to vote. Then there wouldn’t be any republican voters.
Low blow XXX, but great aim!
XXX
The rebublicans would be writing the questions in Kansas!
We win again!
How about a government test before running for office? After all, plumbers are licensed. Doctors are licensed. Hair dressers are licensed…but any moron can (and they usually do) run for office without any assurance they have even HEARD of the US Constitution.
I like the idea of electing representatives by lot. Every year, fill half the seats of the House of Representatives & half the seats of the Senate by drawing names from all of the registered voters. One 2-year term, and your lifetime obligation to serve is fulfilled. It would be pretty hard for the special interests to influence folks who would be going back home in a couple of years.
Dark, darkie, darkster, that’s the best reason of all to take the money.What? I only got two years to catch up with the other bastards? Money talks before they walk.
Tracy,You are SO cynical! And, quite likely, right on the money.
I was only attempting to put forth a positive suggestion of a (highly unlikely) solution to the problem.
I am not at all convinced how much is accomplished by all the name-calling and arguing that takes place on this blog. Nothing positive, methinks. If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.
Definitely make election day a national holiday, but keep it as far away from a 3 day weekend as possible.
The working folks in this country get FAR too little leisure time as it is. They may be forgiven for wanting to use the little they do get for their own pursuits. This is also a reason for not making election day on a regular weekend.
Election day should be a Wenesday. The electorate should be given to understand that this is a day given you independent of your user….er I mean employer to vote in your own best interest.
Star you are right, I AM SO CYNICAL. But I’m pretty sure I wasn’t born this way, I think it developed over the many years of seeing those in power, all way the from the city level cronies up to the pres himself do exactly what we like to bitch about. It’s certainly human nature to want to do as well as you can for you and yours, but the bitchen’ comes in when it’s at others expense.I also agree about all the electronic mud slinging. Some people are only venting, some amuse themselves at others frustration, while some are truly of questionable mental health and you can read and follow the deterioration of said health while reading their daily posts. I’m not sure which category others would put me into, but I plead guilty to cynic and innocent to attack dog.Thanks for your input!
A little off topic.I resent having my polling place at wichita at one of the politically active churches. (terry fox’s church)I believe a polling place should be in a neutral location.
Now that you can vote by mail or at the election commissioners office in the courthouse, the actual voting day isn’t that important. I don’t know the percentages but I suspect that 50% of voting is completed before election day.
A more dangerous problem with elections: the trend towards LONGER terms of office. In my opinion, ALL terms of office should be shortened to two years.
Our mayor and city councilmen are elected for four years. State senators are elected for four years. State elected bureacrats, the biggest money wasters of all, such as attorney general, insurance commissioner, secretary of state, state treasurer and state printer are elected for four year terms. Our high priced ($65,000/year plus snacks) county commissioners get four years. About the only two year terms left that I can think of are for our 125 state legislators in the Kansas house of representatives.
Have you heard of “throw the bums out of office for not performing”? Most voters don’t remember the non-performance issues, only politician’s names which gives them name identification. Once politicians get name identification, good or bad, they don’t have to campaign door to door again.
Personally, I haven’t had a politician come to my door here in Wichita for over five years. The old days of personalized campaigning seems to be over.
Let me see if I have this straight. Ambassador Young is suggesting that people no longer vote on Tuesday when most employers give time off from work, or at least some leeway, for voting. Instead he suggests people give up their FREE TIME on Saturday (not to mention Jewish and Seventh-day Adventists who might have other things to do, too). If people aren’t taking off from work to vote then it is doubtful they will do so on their OWN TIME. I think a writer’s suggestion above of prizes (free gas from the National Oil Reserve, maybe) is a better one. Thank you. And “good night and good luck,” too.
A somewhat unpalatable idea creeping out during late night cramming. National/State ID card, which automatically gives out the correct ballot when presented at ANY polling place nationwide. That way one can vote just about anywhere, untethered by having to find the correct district, be it at work 200 miles away, or in the local kindergarten.