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Mandatory holiday - Election Day

Election day - Mandatory holiday?

  • Yes

    Votes: 15 75.0%
  • No

    Votes: 5 25.0%

  • Total voters
    20

Gabriel

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Do you think that creating a mandatory holiday for elections would increase voter turnout?
 
What makes you think more voters are better?

If anything, we should make it harder to vote. Only those who who have taken the time to research the positions of candidates and proposals would make the effort to get through the obstacles to vote ensuring that we can weed out bad, ignorant voters from intelligent educated ones.
 
What makes you think more voters are better?

If anything, we should make it harder to vote. Only those who who have taken the time to research the positions of candidates and proposals would make the effort to get through the obstacles to vote ensuring that we can weed out bad, ignorant voters from intelligent educated ones.

I understand what you are saying. But I believe it would cause people to reflect a bit more and become more involved with the process. However that doesn't mean I want a bunch of fox news fans blithering the noise they get off it. I just think it would cause people to become more involved beyond redneck politics where racial slurs and stereotypes run wild. I just think more knowledge of the argument would help. I think sometimes we underestimate people in general. Of course many wouldn’t bother just the same so I don’t know, it isn’t a cure but it might help.
 
In this country ignorant people or those who haven't done research still have the Constitutional right to their vote. It would be totalitarian to deem only certain educated and well researched people the right to vote.

However, I do support a mandatory holiday for elections. I don't think anyone should have their vote denied on election day, and some people have to work past the time when polling stations are open. For others it is too inconvenient to vote due to work. I fully support making election day a mandatory holiday, it may also reduce voting line times because people can go whenever they want.
 
Ridiculous idea. Polls are open until at least 7 pm in most states. All an election day holiday would do would be to give those that don't even care enough to vote yet another paid day off. People that want to vote, will.
 
Ridiculous idea. Polls are open until at least 7 pm in most states. All an election day holiday would do would be to give those that don't even care enough to vote yet another paid day off. People that want to vote, will.

You suppose low voter turnout is seated in political apathy?
 
In this country ignorant people or those who haven't done research still have the Constitutional right to their vote. It would be totalitarian to deem only certain educated and well researched people the right to vote

I never said to deny people the right to vote. Merely make it more difficult to actually vote. If you actually gave a **** you'd overcome the problems and vote. In a way that's why I like mail in. You clearly care enough to register for absentee. And you clearly care enough to mail it in on time. IMO, going to all absentee would help in increasing the votes of people who are themselves more motivated to vote. Perhaps I'm reading too much Heinlein recently?
 
What makes you think more voters are better?

If anything, we should make it harder to vote. Only those who who have taken the time to research the positions of candidates and proposals would make the effort to get through the obstacles to vote ensuring that we can weed out bad, ignorant voters from intelligent educated ones.

Educated voting is mutually exclusive from a holiday on election days.
 
Ridiculous idea. Polls are open until at least 7 pm in most states. All an election day holiday would do would be to give those that don't even care enough to vote yet another paid day off. People that want to vote, will.

But for a lot of people, that only leaves about 2 hours for voting - 5pm-7pm. As 5pm is when a lot of people get off work. Having a holiday means that since people won't be at work they have ample opportunity to exercise their right to vote on those days.
 
Educated voting is mutually exclusive from a holiday on election days.

Not necessarily. While Moon does have a good point that those who wouldn't vote anyways are going to just take the day off anyways, I don't see why we should make it easier for those who may vote because they have the day off but aren't educated or informed to make good decisions.

More votes are not necessarily better. If 80% elect an idiot, does that make that person a good choice?
 
ridiculous idea. Polls are open until at least 7 pm in most states. All an election day holiday would do would be to give those that don't even care enough to vote yet another paid day off. People that want to vote, will.

this ^^^^...........
 
You suppose low voter turnout is seated in political apathy?

Probably. Would you rather have more people vote, or more people educated about the candidates and issues vote?
 
I never said to deny people the right to vote. Merely make it more difficult to actually vote. If you actually gave a **** you'd overcome the problems and vote. In a way that's why I like mail in. You clearly care enough to register for absentee. And you clearly care enough to mail it in on time. IMO, going to all absentee would help in increasing the votes of people who are themselves more motivated to vote. Perhaps I'm reading too much Heinlein recently?

I think we should make it more secure to vote to prevent voter fraud, but I still think the ill informed have the right to vote. Most polling stations usually have some kind of display table set up for each candidate somewhere. I think because voting is a Constitutional right, we should make it more convenient to exercise that right.
 
I never said to deny people the right to vote. Merely make it more difficult to actually vote. If you actually gave a **** you'd overcome the problems and vote. In a way that's why I like mail in. You clearly care enough to register for absentee. And you clearly care enough to mail it in on time. IMO, going to all absentee would help in increasing the votes of people who are themselves more motivated to vote. Perhaps I'm reading too much Heinlein recently?

I would be against mail-in voting, or at least making it mandatory, as there's too much possibility for voter fraud and people should have the right to change their mind who they vote for up until they cast their ballot.

And yes, you have been reading too much Heinlein recently. :tongue4: But that's a subject for another thread.
 
You suppose low voter turnout is seated in political apathy?

There might be "A FEW" people who don't manage to make it to vote due to their own laziness.

If you REALLY WANT to vote.. you are going to vote. Hell I know of several places of employment where employers provide you the opportunity to go vote during the work day (and not necessarily during lunch) or give longer lunch breaks on election day so folks can go vote.

In the Army, all I had to do was tell my supervisor I was going to go vote and I could go, anytime during our duty day, as long as it wasn't during PT/morning formation or at the end of the day formation.
 
But for a lot of people, that only leaves about 2 hours for voting - 5pm-7pm. As 5pm is when a lot of people get off work. Having a holiday means that since people won't be at work they have ample opportunity to exercise their right to vote on those days.

"Only"? Polling places are in the neighborhoods, or close by. Even if they have to wait in line for a bit, it's not like elections happened every week. If it's important to do, then make the wee bit of sacrifice it takes to vote. Not everything in life has to be handed to you on a silver platter or hassle free.
 
I think we should make it more secure to vote to prevent voter fraud

Well that goes without saying. And why we should get rid of electronic voting machines. Go entirely back to paper and count them on live tv.

but I still think the ill informed have the right to vote.

No one is saying otherwise. It is more if we want to make it easier for them to vote.

Most polling stations usually have some kind of display table set up for each candidate somewhere.

I think that's illegal. Polling stations cannot have campaign material at their sites. Besides, we all know that what politicians say is rarely the truth.

I think because voting is a Constitutional right, we should make it more convenient to exercise that right.

So you're okay with more ignorant votes?
 
Not necessarily. While Moon does have a good point that those who wouldn't vote anyways are going to just take the day off anyways, I don't see why we should make it easier for those who may vote because they have the day off but aren't educated or informed to make good decisions.

More votes are not necessarily better. If 80% elect an idiot, does that make that person a good choice?

But why should people who do educate themselves on the issues but have a strict schedule for their job be limited to only a few hours to have the opportunity to vote?
 
I would be against mail-in voting, or at least making it mandatory, as there's too much possibility for voter fraud and people should have the right to change their mind who they vote for up until they cast their ballot.

Nothing is stopping you from mailing it the day of the election. And I think mandatory, but required registration for an absentee is a good idea, especially with methods of verification. Blindly sending out absentee is a bad, bad, bad idea.

But why should people who do educate themselves on the issues but have a strict schedule for their job be limited to only a few hours to have the opportunity to vote?

They get absentee. I thought all states have absentee. I know Oregon is entirely absentee. I vote in my state absentee even though I have the option to go down.
 
Not everything in life has to be handed to you on a silver platter or hassle free.

Again, we have a winner.
 
"Only"? Polling places are in the neighborhoods, or close by. Even if they have to wait in line for a bit, it's not like elections happened every week. If it's important to do, then make the wee bit of sacrifice it takes to vote. Not everything in life has to be handed to you on a silver platter or hassle free.

I think you misread my post. What I meant was that it leaves only 2 hours for most of the voters in that district to cast their vote. In those 2 hours, between 5 and 7, is when the majority of voters in a district will cast their vote. That can lead to a horrible backlog in voting. A day off can alleviate that backlog.
 
Well that goes without saying. And why we should get rid of electronic voting machines. Go entirely back to paper and count them on live tv.
I wouldn't find a bunch of old volunteers counting pieces of paper to be entertaining for TV purposes. And thus this is why such doesn't happen, its boring, its not money making, and nobody is going to carry such a thing on their broadcast lineup.

Can you imagine, hours of... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.... (hours later) 89,993, 89,994... (more hours later) 254,322 , 254,323...
Yeah, who the **** wants to watch that ****.
 
I think you misread my post. What I meant was that it leaves only 2 hours for most of the voters in that district to cast their vote. In those 2 hours, between 5 and 7, is when the majority of voters in a district will cast their vote. That can lead to a horrible backlog in voting. A day off can alleviate that backlog.

So what? It's a minor inconvenience at best.
 
I wouldn't find a bunch of old volunteers counting pieces of paper to be entertaining for TV purposes. And thus this is why such doesn't happen, its boring, its not money making, and nobody is going to carry such a thing on their broadcast lineup.

Can you imagine, hours of... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.... (hours later) 89,993, 89,994... (more hours later) 254,322 , 254,323...
Yeah, who the **** wants to watch that ****.

I never said it was suppose to be entertaining. But it would serve as a very good method of verification of actual votes. Electronic voting is fraught with problems even today. C-SPAN is boring as hell, but it's broadcasted.
 
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