According to the Pew Foundation case study The Real Cost of Voter Registration, it costs the State of Oregon between $4.11 – $7.67 per voter registration transaction. Therein lies another crazy statistic about our election system.

Canada, for example, uses existing government data to auto-register eligible voters. This system costs roughly $0.26 per voter.

Something closer to home? Arizona allows residents to register online. One voter registration paper card in Arizona costs the State $0.83, however online registration costs $0.03 per voter.

If we cut wasteful spending out of our election system, moving election day to the weekend would be a piece of cake and voter turnout would increase.

Photo of money toilet paper via sabtheartist.com.

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NEW YORK, NY – Check out the first Get Out the Why video submission! Jacob Wheeler caught up with Representative Keith Ellison (DFL-MN) to ask why we vote on Tuesday?

Although Rep. Ellison supports moving Election Day to the weekend, he did not know the answer. In all fairness to the Congressman, most people have no idea why Election Day is on Tuesday.

Some background. Rep. Ellison represents Minnesota’s 5th congressional district. He is a member of Minnesota’s Democratic Farmer-Labor Party. When Rep. Ellison took office in 2007, he became the first muslim to be elected to the United States Congress and the first African-American elected to the House from Minnesota.

Thank you for the great video, Jacob Wheeler! Keep asking the tough questions!

Posted in Election 2010, Election Reform, Get Out The Why?, Minnesota, Why do we vote on Tuesday?, WT? Correspondents | Comments Off

Do you know why Election Day is on Tuesday? Specifically, “the Tuesday after the first Monday in November”? Don’t fret as Presidents, Senators, Congressmen and almost everyone we have asked didn’t know either. The times are changing and with your help the decision by Congress in 1845 to accommodate farmers will be adapted to the modern day reality that voting on Tuesday is no longer the most convenient day to cast your ballot.

Get Out the Why is our biennial national call to anyone with enough gumption and a video camera (or phone) to ask politicians and influential Americans (“influencers”) why Election Day is on Tuesday. We are offering cash rewards (and better than that, priceless and tax-free psychic income for helping our democracy) for your video submissions that fit the bill.

Here is how Get Out the Why works:

Anyone who gets a politician or influencer on camera answering the question, “Do you know why we vote on Tuesdays?” gets their video posted to our site. Watch this video for some examples from our Executive Director Jacob Soboroff. For those who get certain politicians and influencers, there is a cash prize for your efforts. To win, you must follow the rules. (more…)

Posted in Election Reform, Get Out The Why? | 1 Comment »

NEW YORK, NY – Predictions of low voter turnout were abound prior to Election Day 2009. Perhaps it is day we vote. Or possibly it is the way we vote. Most agree that our voting system needs a seriously overdue upgrade.

Nearly two years ago, Why Tuesday’s wise co-founder, Norman J. Ornstein put forth, “If Apple or Google — or both — stepped up to the plate to give us the iVote or Voogle, they could save the credibility of American democracy.”

Last year we posed Mr. Ornstein’s idea to Google’s Sergey Brin… watch his answer here.

Just in the nick of time for our annual Thanksgiving-table argument about election reform! (more…)

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NEW YORK, NY – I was digging up 2009 voter turnout statistics and came across a user comment on CNN’s Political Ticker. This comment makes all of us at Why Tuesday? really gratified despite our nation’s increasingly low voter turnout. The comment is in in response to an article about low voter turnout.

Comments on the post are now closed, so here’s our response:

Dear Spirit of America (whoever you are),

Although we don’t believe most folks are afraid of a democracy breakout, we at Why Tuesday? often pray for a democracy breakout before elections, bedtime and large meals.

Thank you again. We could not have said it better ourselves!

Sincerely,

Why Tuesday?

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NEW YORK, NY – On Tuesday November 3rd, a minority of New Yorkers ventured to the polls to cast their ballots. There were more than a handful of elected posts up for grab, most notably Mayor, City Comptroller, Public Advocate and District Attorney. Much was at stake in these elections, not only in the City, but also in Virginia and New Jersey. Be it a weak economic outlook, increasing unemployment, health care, gun control, education, gay rights or a slew of other imperative issues, City voters by-and-large decided to stay quiet, stay home, and not vote. (more…)

Posted in Mayor Bloomberg, New Jersey, New York, Why do we vote on Tuesday? | Comments Off