Outlaw Man
Member
Probably the best way to get more people to vote is to tell them they can't.
Question for THR members...
- Thread starter Autolycus
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Kaylee
Member
1. Yes, I think it would.
2. No, I don't think that would be a good thing. If someone doesn't care enough to rearrange their work day (or vote early or absentee) then they don't care enough to research their opinion enough to make an informed vote.
But then, I still think Universal Suffrage was among the worst mistakes in the history of the Republic.
-K
2. No, I don't think that would be a good thing. If someone doesn't care enough to rearrange their work day (or vote early or absentee) then they don't care enough to research their opinion enough to make an informed vote.
But then, I still think Universal Suffrage was among the worst mistakes in the history of the Republic.
-K
High Planes Drifter
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That is easily the most moronic thing I've read all week.
Following the Constitution frightens people? BryanP
Member
I doubt it would. Heck, if it were a hoilday I'd get the day off (why yes, I do work for the govt, thank you) and I think it's a bad idea.
I think election day should be two weeks after April 15. That's the only change I would make.
I think election day should be two weeks after April 15. That's the only change I would make.
I think it would. I think what would be better is to vastly increase access points on where you could vote. Voting from your home (I.E PC) would increase voting percentage by leaps and bounds. Yes..yes...paranoia that it could be "hacked" since we all watched those Hacker and Hacker 2 movies and even Angelina Jolie could break into the CIA servers, but realistically there can be an intermediate point.
Hell Yes
I work over an hour from where I am supposed to vote. That means that I have to use a vacation day to vote (or call out sick… Shhhh). I know a lot of good people who cannot afford to dake a day off of work. Right now the majority of people who vote are the ones without jobs, AKA the old, students, the unemployed, welfare riders... giving hard working folks a day off might get more of them out to vote.
The only bad thing that I can see is that if you work on a federal holiday, its double time. That might actually entice people to stay at work... Hmmm.
I work over an hour from where I am supposed to vote. That means that I have to use a vacation day to vote (or call out sick… Shhhh). I know a lot of good people who cannot afford to dake a day off of work. Right now the majority of people who vote are the ones without jobs, AKA the old, students, the unemployed, welfare riders... giving hard working folks a day off might get more of them out to vote.
The only bad thing that I can see is that if you work on a federal holiday, its double time. That might actually entice people to stay at work... Hmmm.
xd9fan
Member
Funny....this sound like the two main parties.....
Sharps Shooter
Member
"I doubt it would. Heck, if it were a hoilday I'd get the day off (why yes, I do work for the govt, thank you) and I think it's a bad idea."
The fact that you would get the day off Bryan is closely related to the point I was trying to make in my first post in this thread. My wife works for the government too - in the Elections Office. If Election Day was a federal holiday, my wife and every other hourly employee in Elections Offices across the nation would be drawing premium wages for working it. And you and I would foot the bill.
The fact that you would get the day off Bryan is closely related to the point I was trying to make in my first post in this thread. My wife works for the government too - in the Elections Office. If Election Day was a federal holiday, my wife and every other hourly employee in Elections Offices across the nation would be drawing premium wages for working it. And you and I would foot the bill.
Sistema1927
Member
Even if it did result in a higher turnout (and I have my doubts that it would) is that a good thing?
If people don't take the time to research the issues and the candidates they are not informed voters. There is nothing worse than an uninformed mob turning out (with or without pitchforks and torches) to change the social order.
If people don't take the time to research the issues and the candidates they are not informed voters. There is nothing worse than an uninformed mob turning out (with or without pitchforks and torches) to change the social order.
Sistema1927
Member
I will go you one better. Instead of 4/15 being the day to file taxes, it should be the day to pay taxes. No withholding, no phony "refunds", no mislabeled "earned income credit", etc. Each and every citizen has to dig deep and pay their share.
I can guarantee you that this would bring about more change than just about any other measure imaginable. It wouldn't matter which day is election day if this was implemented.
Mr. James
Member
AMEN, Kaylee!
If you wish to repair the Republic, take a good look at our election laws and who is permitted to vote. This knuckle-dragging troglodyte prays for rain from Spokane to Maine on each and every election day.
I hope your "moronic thing I've read" comment was directed at the idea, not at LawBot for posting it. Simple fact is, yes, following the Constitution terrifies a plurality, if not a majority, of the good people of this country. The fear may be moronic, but there's nothing moronic about pointing it out.
So do I. I still manage to make it to the polls at every election. Were my employment to present an obstacle to my voting, I would vote absentee. All of which is a polite way of calling - er, bovine excrement.
If you wish to repair the Republic, take a good look at our election laws and who is permitted to vote. This knuckle-dragging troglodyte prays for rain from Spokane to Maine on each and every election day.
I hope your "moronic thing I've read" comment was directed at the idea, not at LawBot for posting it. Simple fact is, yes, following the Constitution terrifies a plurality, if not a majority, of the good people of this country. The fear may be moronic, but there's nothing moronic about pointing it out.
So do I. I still manage to make it to the polls at every election. Were my employment to present an obstacle to my voting, I would vote absentee. All of which is a polite way of calling - er, bovine excrement.
orionengnr
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You are missing the point. A few local/state people work a lot of hours om Election Day currently. Make it a holiday, and the above still happens.
Beyond that, a whole lot more Fed/state/local employees don't work and get paid anyway.
Agreed...if it is important to you, you will vote. Regardless.
Beatnik
Member
I'll argue against any kind of voting incentives for my entire life.
Groups that encourage voting tend to be groups like Boy/Girl Scouts, Churches, fraternities, and the military - all groups that have some sense of creating a greater good using methods outside of the bureaucracy of government.
Any government sponsored voting incentive amounts to the government feeding itself. It won't be possible to separate any such campaign from the idea that we're casting a vote for who will solve all of life's problems - because that is what government wants to be, our panacea.
Also, as stated, if you don't vote it's your fault. If you don't care enough to take an hour out of your YEAR, I don't want you to vote. Your opinion doesn't count.
Groups that encourage voting tend to be groups like Boy/Girl Scouts, Churches, fraternities, and the military - all groups that have some sense of creating a greater good using methods outside of the bureaucracy of government.
Any government sponsored voting incentive amounts to the government feeding itself. It won't be possible to separate any such campaign from the idea that we're casting a vote for who will solve all of life's problems - because that is what government wants to be, our panacea.
Also, as stated, if you don't vote it's your fault. If you don't care enough to take an hour out of your YEAR, I don't want you to vote. Your opinion doesn't count.
Autolycus
Member
I dont mind paying the people at the elections office extra overtime myself if it means more citizens will vote. We are already paying them the overtime anyway.
Perhaps I was misunderstood by some of you and I was trying to say that if it was a holiday for everyone, including non-government workers (excluding elction workers), would you go vote? Similar in vein to Christmas, its a government holiday but your boss could require you to come in, would you?
If Election day was a holiday I think more people would vote. At least that is the case in European countries where the majority of the citizenry vote. The exchange students I met and roomed with from Germany and Austria were very excited when they got to see the 2004 elections. It was hard to explain to them why many Americans choose not to vote. And it came up recently in a class of mine. I remember the exchange students telling me how enthusiastic and proud they were to vote in their countries elections.
So I ask why are so many Americans apathetic? I always hear these polls in the media about how 60% of Americans disaprove of this yet 60% of Americans did not vote or even 60% of eligible voters did not vote. And I want to know why?
If we make it easier for people to vote then perhaps we could see more Americans voting and exercising their rights. I remember hearing about Arizona having a sort of lottery with the voters in a recent election. Could anyone expand upon that?
Perhaps I was misunderstood by some of you and I was trying to say that if it was a holiday for everyone, including non-government workers (excluding elction workers), would you go vote? Similar in vein to Christmas, its a government holiday but your boss could require you to come in, would you?
If Election day was a holiday I think more people would vote. At least that is the case in European countries where the majority of the citizenry vote. The exchange students I met and roomed with from Germany and Austria were very excited when they got to see the 2004 elections. It was hard to explain to them why many Americans choose not to vote. And it came up recently in a class of mine. I remember the exchange students telling me how enthusiastic and proud they were to vote in their countries elections.
So I ask why are so many Americans apathetic? I always hear these polls in the media about how 60% of Americans disaprove of this yet 60% of Americans did not vote or even 60% of eligible voters did not vote. And I want to know why?
If we make it easier for people to vote then perhaps we could see more Americans voting and exercising their rights. I remember hearing about Arizona having a sort of lottery with the voters in a recent election. Could anyone expand upon that?
Sharps Shooter
Member
"You are missing the point. A few local/state people work a lot of hours om Election Day currently. Make it a holiday, and the above still happens."
"Beyond that, a whole lot more Fed/state/local employees don't work and get paid anyway."
Yeah, okay - I got it now. I agree.
And like you, I still don't think making a federal holiday out of Election Day would increase voter turnout.
On the other hand, I'm retired now, but if I was still in the workforce I might go for either another day off with pay, or another day at time and a half wages every year. I mean, I've voted in every election since I was old enough to vote anyway. It's too bad someone didn't come up with this idea a long time ago. I'd have made more money and/or had more time off during my working years. My employers might not have been as happy about yet another federal holiday though.
"Beyond that, a whole lot more Fed/state/local employees don't work and get paid anyway."
Yeah, okay - I got it now. I agree.
And like you, I still don't think making a federal holiday out of Election Day would increase voter turnout.
On the other hand, I'm retired now, but if I was still in the workforce I might go for either another day off with pay, or another day at time and a half wages every year. I mean, I've voted in every election since I was old enough to vote anyway. It's too bad someone didn't come up with this idea a long time ago. I'd have made more money and/or had more time off during my working years. My employers might not have been as happy about yet another federal holiday though.
High Planes Drifter
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The entire paragraph was not only offensive but somewhat moronic. Not just the comment about people being affraid of the constitution. The idea that 99% of Libertarians dont have a clue how politics work is simply absurd.
Some of the most notable Americans were Libertarian; James Madison, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson were all Libertarians. Present day - Alan Greenspan, Ron Paul, Bob Smither, just to name a few. Anyway, I dont want to run this topic off course. I'll leave it alone. Here is a link to a page you may find interesting, a list of notable Libertarians :
http://chelm.freeyellow.com/famous_index.html
edited for spelling.
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Mr. James
Member
High Plains,
My apologies to you - I missed that opening crack about 99 percent of Libertarians . . .
My apologies to you - I missed that opening crack about 99 percent of Libertarians . . .
C96
Member
In my opinion, the average person isn't going to waste a perfectly good holiday by going to vote.
If they won't vote now, they won't waste a holiday on the matter.
allan
If they won't vote now, they won't waste a holiday on the matter.
allan
High Planes Drifter
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No problem Mr. James.
BTW - The "Planes" in my screen name is misspelled on purpose. I worked for years as a millwork carpenter & cabinet builder. I thought it would be nice to include that past in my screen name -Planes as in hand plane. Of course no one else gets it but me, I guess I should have thought of that beforehand.
Depends. In theory, yes, making it a holiday will increase turnout (those who would go fishing aren't voting anyway - but you've gained those for whom voting is a real inconvenience).
However, most of us don't receive all 'federal holidays' off and many jobs don't receive even the big ones. Is the culture-at-large going to immediately accept Election Day as a Christmas-style event where everything not absolutely necessary shuts down? I doubt it.
You could, just as easily, increase the hours (poll lines stop forming at 10pm or midnight rather than the more common 7pm) or increase the number of machines in use (numerous stories of underserved districts in the last two El Jefe elections) and see an increase in turnout.
And yes, more turnout is good, whether the voters agree with me or not.
However, most of us don't receive all 'federal holidays' off and many jobs don't receive even the big ones. Is the culture-at-large going to immediately accept Election Day as a Christmas-style event where everything not absolutely necessary shuts down? I doubt it.
You could, just as easily, increase the hours (poll lines stop forming at 10pm or midnight rather than the more common 7pm) or increase the number of machines in use (numerous stories of underserved districts in the last two El Jefe elections) and see an increase in turnout.
And yes, more turnout is good, whether the voters agree with me or not.
P5 Guy
Member
Voting would get in the way of the Election Day Sales.
And I do not feel that more voters are a good thing, most people can't get their noses out of the Sports/Entertainment page of the local paper to make an informed selection.
And I do not feel that more voters are a good thing, most people can't get their noses out of the Sports/Entertainment page of the local paper to make an informed selection.
grampster
Member
People who are interested in voting will vote, somehow. Anyone can get an absentee ballot nowadays. Rather than promoting getting larger numbers of people out to vote, I'm more concerned with people who do vote, but don't have a clue why they are voting.
scurtis_34471
Member
No, for many reasons already stated. There is also the fact that relatively few businesses actually close on Federal holidays.
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