I mean even federal holidays don’t help. At least for the lower classes since businesses are not forced to follow said holidays. It may be good for federal/government workers but from the private sector it will mean very little.
In Australia pre-polling places open like 2 weeks in advance. (I don’t know the exact number but you don’t have to vote on election day if you can’t make it on election day)
But I am not talking about federal holidays. I am talking about holidays in both the private and government sector for elections. That’s a fairly reasonable/old law in many countries including mine.
Not in Canada either, but we do have a special holiday for Truth and Reconciliation where our Aboriginal peoples are acknowledged through ceremonial water skiing in Tofino
Utterly insane that elections are held on weekdays. I’m so thankful we have mandatory voting, easy early voting, voting by mail, elections on weekends, and protections for employees who need to vote on the day they if they’re working in Australia. We also already have ranked choice voting by single transferable vote as well as proportional representative voting in most jurisdictions (all bicameral parliaments).
Yeah, as are NT and QLD. My comment was stating that all bicameral parliaments in Australia have proportional representational voting; not that all parliaments in Australia are bicameral.
Unfortunately we have a beyond-uncomfortable fraction of the population that are totally cool with trying to prevent/discourage people from voting, as long as the near term political benefit is in their favor.
But I’m still glad to hear about other governments doing things for the good of the people. One of these days maybe enough of the US population will realize we can implement things that worked in other countries!
Just have to convince them that other countries exist…
But a federal holiday doesn’t really help though right? People working at Wendy’s don’t get existing federal holidays off so it wouldn’t change for the majority of people who can’t get to the polling stations because of what job they have.
Giving it the American legal designation of federal holiday won’t help. Barring nonessential businesses from operating on that day and barring the essential businesses from having a shift that lasts longer than eight hours would do a lot. I’m never clear which people mean when they say to make it a holiday.
And that’s why elections in the US are on weekdays. I’m by saying I support this, I would love for elections to be a national holiday or noon on a Saturday or whatever makes them most accessible. I’m just explaining one of the reasons why they are how they are now.
Voting is not governed on the federal level. That power is reserved to the states. Most reasonable states have 30+ days of early voting. The people complaining about no federal holiday for voting have probably never voted. If your state does not have early voting then get on that shit and stop bitching online.
Having most governance at the state level is a good thing. You are 1 voice in a million instead of 1 voice in 300 million. It is easier for people to influence state government. State laws have a bigger impact on people’s lives.
If someone isn’t knowledgeable and involved in state politics but is posting online about politics then they are just another braying jackass doing nothing to fix things.
American people don’t have a federal holiday on elections, am I right?
Edit: I didn’t mean federal holiday. Just a holiday that’s mandatory to follow even for private firms.
I mean even federal holidays don’t help. At least for the lower classes since businesses are not forced to follow said holidays. It may be good for federal/government workers but from the private sector it will mean very little.
In Australia pre-polling places open like 2 weeks in advance. (I don’t know the exact number but you don’t have to vote on election day if you can’t make it on election day)
And election day is always a Saturday.
But I am not talking about federal holidays. I am talking about holidays in both the private and government sector for elections. That’s a fairly reasonable/old law in many countries including mine.
Not in Canada either, but we do have a special holiday for Truth and Reconciliation where our Aboriginal peoples are acknowledged through ceremonial water skiing in Tofino
That’s correct. It’s just a normal weekday.
Utterly insane that elections are held on weekdays. I’m so thankful we have mandatory voting, easy early voting, voting by mail, elections on weekends, and protections for employees who need to vote on the day they if they’re working in Australia. We also already have ranked choice voting by single transferable vote as well as proportional representative voting in most jurisdictions (all bicameral parliaments).
ACT is unicameral, and I don’t think we’re the only ones
Yeah, as are NT and QLD. My comment was stating that all bicameral parliaments in Australia have proportional representational voting; not that all parliaments in Australia are bicameral.
Unfortunately we have a beyond-uncomfortable fraction of the population that are totally cool with trying to prevent/discourage people from voting, as long as the near term political benefit is in their favor.
But I’m still glad to hear about other governments doing things for the good of the people. One of these days maybe enough of the US population will realize we can implement things that worked in other countries!
Just have to convince them that other countries exist…
Makes it easier for the richer people with flexible jobs and the retirees with no jobs to vote.
3 guesses which party is always against making it a federal holiday…
But a federal holiday doesn’t really help though right? People working at Wendy’s don’t get existing federal holidays off so it wouldn’t change for the majority of people who can’t get to the polling stations because of what job they have.
Giving it the American legal designation of federal holiday won’t help. Barring nonessential businesses from operating on that day and barring the essential businesses from having a shift that lasts longer than eight hours would do a lot. I’m never clear which people mean when they say to make it a holiday.
A political party that wants to make it harder to vote for politicians… Gee I wonder!
Fortunately I have a flexible job and live in a small town, but it looks like it gets ridiculous in other parts of the country.
Hell, they could just hold it over a weekend. Why does it need to be just one day, let alone a weekday (or more importantly, a work day)?
Because the polls are in buildings that typically are staffed by public sector workers who don’t get paid to be there on weekends.
I’m pretty sure poll workers are volunteers. Maybe it varies by state.
They usually are. But the polls themselves are often in community centers, schools, and other public sector buildings.
And…?
And that’s why elections in the US are on weekdays. I’m by saying I support this, I would love for elections to be a national holiday or noon on a Saturday or whatever makes them most accessible. I’m just explaining one of the reasons why they are how they are now.
Voting is not governed on the federal level. That power is reserved to the states. Most reasonable states have 30+ days of early voting. The people complaining about no federal holiday for voting have probably never voted. If your state does not have early voting then get on that shit and stop bitching online.
Having most governance at the state level is a good thing. You are 1 voice in a million instead of 1 voice in 300 million. It is easier for people to influence state government. State laws have a bigger impact on people’s lives.
If someone isn’t knowledgeable and involved in state politics but is posting online about politics then they are just another braying jackass doing nothing to fix things.
Dude, have you considered the possibility that people canNOT be Americans also?