BURLINGTON, Vt., Nov. 7 – After Tuesday’s extremely low voter turnout, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) announced today that he will introduce legislation to make Election Day a national holiday.
“In America, we should be celebrating our democracy and doing everything possible to make it easier for people to participate in the political process. Election Day should be a national holiday so that everyone has the time and opportunity to vote. While this would not be a cure-all, it would indicate a national commitment to create a more vibrant democracy,” said Sanders, who was not on the ballot on Tuesday.
In Vermont, only 43.7 percent of registered voters cast ballots, the worst turnout on record, according to an Associated Press analysis. Nationwide, preliminary indications are that the total turnout was only 36.6 percent, according to the United States Elections Project at the University of Florida. The big drop-off from presidential election years was disproportionately greater among minorities and young people. Voters 18- to 29-years-old made up only 13 percent of those who went to the polls on Tuesday, according to exit polls. The same survey found that only 8 percent of Tuesday’s voters were Hispanics, far less than the Latino share of the population.
“We should not be satisfied with a ‘democracy’ in which more than 60 percent of our people don’t vote and some 80 percent of young people and low-income Americans fail to vote. We can and must do better than that. While we must also focus on campaign finance reform and public funding of elections, establishing an Election Day holiday would be an important step forward.”
More Americans vote in presidential election years, but even typical turnouts of about 60 percent are “an international embarrassment” compared to other democracies, Sanders said. In Denmark, 80 percent turnout is normal. The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance ranks the United States 120th in the world for average turnout.
Sanders said a national holiday would be just one step forward in attempting to strengthen American democracy. He has long advocated public funding of elections to blunt the impact of negative campaign ads bankrolled by billionaires and big corporations. He cosponsored a constitutional amendment to overturn the disastrous 2010 Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission that voided campaign funding limits.
Sanders also has criticized a wave of voter-suppression laws passed in states with Republican legislatures and governors. Reducing opportunities for early voting, making it harder to register to vote and requiring IDs all have discouraged participation in elections.
Sanders’ legislation will be filed next week when Congress reconvenes. To read the bill, click here.
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Contact: Michael Briggs (202) 224-5141
Boon doggle : Election Day Super Bowl
Well, what a boon this would be for the media and a burden for employers. Whether more people vote is not a sure thing, but the media would milk this like an Election Super Bowl.
Why is there always a better way when politicians suggest a new “bill?”
I love Bernie but this makes
I love Bernie but this makes no sense to me. There are ample hours for people to vote on election day- most polling places open very early and are open until 7 or 8 Pm at night. Plus there is early voting options in most places and absentee ballots. Unless there is a catastrophic natural disaster or something devastating going on in a person’s life there is really no reason not to vote. Establishing election day as a “holiday” means reduced work forces and a situation that the retail community will take huge advantage of. I can see it now ” Midnight Madness Voters Sale: Everybody Wins!”
A day off from work isn’t going to entice people out to vote if they’re already inclined not to participate in that privilege.
Other ideas
They could mail ballots to everyone, with a postage-paid return envelope.
Volunteers could go door to door with ballots encouraging people to vote.
They could develop secure, online voting.
The 45%
I think it’s something like 45% (probably more) of the entire U.S. GDP that goes to our buddies in MIC (the military industrial complex).
What’s there to change?