Weekend Voting

MOVE ELECTION DAY TO THE WEEKEND

One solution to fix our broken voting system and increase participation is to move Election Day from Tuesday, a busy work day, to the weekend – giving voters the time and flexibility they need to
cast their ballot.

Why do we vote on Tuesday? In short – no good reason.

Today, we are an urban society, and we all know how hard it is to commute to our jobs, take care of the children, and get our work done, let alone stand in line to vote. Indeed, Census data over the last decade clearly indicates that the inconvenience of voting is the primary reason Americans are not participating in our elections. Most states require citizens to vote at the polling location near their home, but on Tuesdays most Americans spend the day at their place of work far from their polling location. And around commute times, polling locations often see long lines. So, if we can move Columbus Day, Presidents’ Day, and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Holiday for the convenience of shoppers, why not move Election Day to the weekend and make it more convenient for the sake of voters?

Opponents counter weekend voting could increase the cost of running elections (necessitating two days of balloting) and there is no guarantee of increased turnout. But given the sad state of American voting turnout, weekend voting is a step in the right direction — making voting more convenient and accessible.

There is currently legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to
adopt weekend voting — the Weekend Voting Act, H.R.1641, sponsored by Rep. Steve Israel.

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