Should we hold elections on Saturdays rather than Tuesdays?

[Indy Texas]

An embarrassingly low percentage of eligible voters in this country actually vote in elections. But whether or not this is due to obstacles in finding time to vote, we're all busy. Whether you're a Democrat, a Republican, or an Independent, we've all got s#!% to do during the week and, as Sweet Brown once said, "Ain't nobody got time for that to vote!" (paraphrasing).

Tuesday elections are an absurdly archaic holdover from our days as an agrarian society of small farmers. Mondays in the fall months were often devoted to taking one's harvest to town to be sold, and since the trip by horse to the nearest reasonably-sized town was often at least a day, it was convenient for people to sell at market on Monday, vote on Tuesday and then head home.

People have to take time off work to vote on Tuesdays (or any of the other weekdays early voting is held - and it's nearly always on weekdays). If they are able to take off work, productivity suffers; if they can't take off work, they can't vote.

Saturday is a day that the overwhelming majority of Americans are free on. Yes, there are some retail and restaurant workers who work Saturdays. Yes, the less than half of self-described Jews who actually observe Saturday services will be occupied. But for those people, we would still have early voting on other days of the week.

So my suggestion is that America's federal elections be held on the first Saturday in November rather than the first Tuesday in November.

[Donerail]

Don't see why not - Republican primary tomorrow in FL-13, so we can see how that works out.

[PJ]

Yes. A purely anecdotal example is a family I know on food stamps who wanted to vote for Obama, but could not because of long hours.

[Flake]

Absolutely! It would help voter turnout, especially in poorer states like Mississippi, and would give people more flexibility.

[Hatman 🍁]

Is it common in the US to take time off work to vote?

I know, we are legally allowed 4 hours to take off, but no one does it. Voting usually takes less than half an hour for me.

[Indy Texas]

Is it common in the US to take time off work to vote?

I know, we are legally allowed 4 hours to take off, but no one does it. Voting usually takes less than half an hour for me.

Employers are not required to allow people time off to go vote. It basically comes down to whether you are in the kind of job where you have enough autonomy to leave in the middle of the day. People in America don't always work near where they live. Example: at the time of the 2012 election, I lived about 25 minutes away from my job. So going out on my lunch break and voting wasn't an option for me. (You have to vote in the precinct where you live.) So I had to do it after work. I also voted during early voting and generally do. But I also don't have kids who need to be taken places after school; I have a fairly autonomous job and don't have to ask permission to leave if I have to go do something; I have a car so I don't have to, say, take three buses in order to get to a polling place like some people do.

I've never voted outside of Texas but I've never had to wait in line at my precinct. I don't know if that's because our polling places are extremely well-run and efficient, or if it's because so few of us bother voting. But Florida is notorious for its badly run polling places and wait times lasting hours. The fact that they're a swing state is probably the only reason they're willing to wait in line that long to vote; I sure as hell wouldn't.

[IceSpear]

I don't think there are very many people who don't vote solely based on the fact that election day is on Tuesday. Americans are just lazy.

[Hatman 🍁]

I guess another issue is when the polls close. Here, they close at 9pm, which is plenty enough time to get home from work and vote for most people.

Whatever day of the week the election is held on should be a day off at least.

[PJ]

Other ways to prevent this issue off the top of my head are declaring election days federal holidays, or using a mail-in ballot system.

[H. Ross Peron]

Election Day should be a national holiday with workers necessary for that day being ensued an opportunity to vote on an early voting date.

[morgieb]

Yes. The more people who vote, the better. Again there are probably tons of people who would want to vote but their jobs won't let them.

[Joe Republic]

Why should it be confined to just one day?  Why not a whole week?

[ElectionsGuy]

Yes, it should also be a holiday, that way it reminds folks to vote. Having it on a normal Tuesday on November when everybody works is also part of the problem.

Why should it be confined to just one day?  Why not a whole week?

That's a great idea too.

[LeBron]

For someone who comes from a state where people had to stand in line for as long as 10 hours to vote in 2004, yes. We should increase poll hours and accommodate everyone for all days of the week who could be working, busy with college or something else that came up. I would also be open to increasing early voting days significantly, not requiring ID at the polls, and finding other ways to vote so as to increase voter turnout.

[Antonio the Sixth]

In most European countries, Election Day is a Sunday.

[morgieb]

In most European countries, Election Day is a Sunday.

Trouble is America is very religious and that could be a BFD for many. Saturday won't be so much.

[Antonio the Sixth]

In most European countries, Election Day is a Sunday.

Trouble is America is very religious and that could be a BFD for many. Saturday won't be so much.

Well, I don't think a mass takes up the entire day.

[angus]

In most European countries, Election Day is a Sunday.

Trouble is America is very religious and that could be a BFD for many. Saturday won't be so much.

Saturday would be worse than Sunday.  I know of no religions who keep Sundays vote-free, but there are some who would discourage voting on Saturday.  Rabbi Herschel Finman, for example, has written that voting is forbidden on Shabbat.

Tuesday is fine.  Monday is fine.  Any weekday is fine.  Weekends, generally, would probably actually decrease voter turnout.  Who the hell wants to give up a weekend to vote? 

[politicallefty]

Why should it be confined to just one day?  Why not a whole week?

I was thinking the same. Some states have made good progress with early voting and mail voting, not to mention same-day voter registration. I don't see why we can't extend Election Day to Election Week (other than Republican opposition that does everything in its power to restrict the ease of voting).

If anything, moving Election Day from Tuesday to Saturday may actually hurt voter turnout. Many people vote prior to work or on their way home from work. I don't think a lot of people would bother to make a special trip to vote on a weekend. On its own, I wouldn't support moving Election Day to Saturday.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Absolutely! It would help voter turnout, especially in poorer states like Mississippi, and would give people more flexibility.

Precisely why the GOP will never allow it to happen on a national level. 

That said.  YES!  In fact, the polls should open on Friday at 5pm and close Sunday at 8pm local time.  Believe me, if it was thought that this would allow more people to participate you will have no problem finding volunteers to work even the overnight hours.  I know I would!  Hell, it could be fun. 

[Kushahontas]

keep it on Tuesday, but make it a holiday (perhaps replace Columbus Day with it)

[7,052,770]

Absolutely! It would help voter turnout, especially in poorer states like Mississippi, and would give people more flexibility.

And that's why it will never happen, unfortunately.

[TJ in Oregon]

In most European countries, Election Day is a Sunday.

Trouble is America is very religious and that could be a BFD for many. Saturday won't be so much.

Well, I don't think a mass takes up the entire day.

The church I used to go when I lived in Cleveland seemed to disagree with that statement

But seriously, I think if we were to move Election Day to Sunday, a significant portion of the populace would view it as an atheist plot to destroy Christianity hyperbolically and just another brick in the (already quite large) wall of the loss of keeping Sunday as a day for God if we're being honest with ourselves.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Why should it be confined to just one day?  Why not a whole week?

Indeed, having be more than just one day makes perfect sense, either that or free access to absentee balloting.

If we must have it on just one day, then for obvious reasons, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday won't do.

[Хahar 🤔]

I guess another issue is when the polls close. Here, they close at 9pm, which is plenty enough time to get home from work and vote for most people.

Of course, that's only in the East.