Posted on 10/22/2016 12:58:01 PM PDT by faucetman
I have advocated for a national day of voting holiday for a long time.
1. Election day made a PAID national holiday. Everyone gets the day off.
a. There would have to be provisions made for essential personnel, police, fire, hospitals, etc. (NOT for Walmart) .....Details.
b. Payment can be worked out. Who pays, how much, tax credit, lump sum, variable based on income. ....Details.
EVERYONE votes on election day during the same period of time. (minor exceptions for Hawaii and any other far flung places). ....Details
2. The polls open and close at the exact same "moment" nationwide.
a. By the clocks, times would be different across the country because of time zones, but everyone would be voting during the same "time frame".
We are only talking 5 hours here. Polls in the east could open at 10 am and close at 10 pm. 12 hours of voting, should be enough. You've got all day instead of trying to squeeze it in before work, during lunch, after work. 8 hours of your voting day is now spent at work, unavailable to you for voting.
Polls in Alaska could open at 6 am and close at 6 pm.
Let's say 1 hour before work, 1 hour at lunch, and 3 hours after work. That's only FIVE hours instead of TWELVE and almost everyone else was in line trying to vote at the same time!
Later in the east, earlier in the west. Hours available for actual voting would have to be shortened (only by 4 hours in NY), BUT everyone has the day off. No 6 pm to 9 pm after work/dinner crunch.
If overcrowding at some polling places would likely occur, create MORE polling places. ....Details.
3. Make it illegal for the press or anyone else to release ANY voting data before the polls have CLOSED.
Remember, ALL polls are closing at the exact same moment! No way for one state's results to influence another's.
NO EXIT POLLING! They'll just have to WAIT for "ACTUAL RESULTS", how droll.
NO EARLY VOTING! Absentee ballots should only be used by the infirmed, active duty military, overseas citizens, etc. You know, like it USED TO BE.
No more Florida 2000s where Dan Rather et al, caused the election debacle in Florida, falsely declaring Gore the winner in Florida, when the polls were still OPEN in the Panhandle, a Republican stronghold.
Note: I used to think this was just an F*** up (Foul up), but with what I know today, I'm convinced it was a deliberate attempt by the liberal media to throw the Presidential election to the Democrats.
Bonus: You might have to or want to take your kids to the polls. A VERY teachable moment! Make voting a FAMILY affair. Train up the youngins to VOTE.
Bonus: You could have voting parties, rallies, get togethers. You could go to the polls together. (designated drivers)
To avoid added pressure on police, ambulance, and hospitals, make your parties, Party Specific R or D. Undecideds, fence sitters, not fully committed, voters will still attend your gathering. It could be a chance to sway a few more votes your way. Take them with you to the polls!
Election day may well be the most important day of the year for our country. We DESERVE fair elections, devoid of FRAUD.
I know many will object to the "PAID" idea, but what is more important to spend our money on than fair elections? I'm sure there are a MILLION budget items that we could choose from to cut so we could afford this, or we could make Mexico pay for it!
“Who pays for the travel expenses to and from the regular polling place on this “election holiday” for individuals who are working long-term assignments hundreds/thousands of miles from home?”
Absentee ballot like you must do now. OR you would be home, with the day off.
“You seriously going to deny me the option of voting before work just because Alaska is in a significantly different longitude?”
Seriously? The way it is now, the election is already OVER before your polls even close.
You wouldn’t be going to work and number 2 you can vote at 6 am. Do you vote now before 6 am?
“1. Who pays? How much? You seriously going to pay 100,000,000 people $50-1000 dollars for a few minutes’ effort?”
Not sure how much would be necessary. If you make a THOUSAND dollars a day, I dare say you could miss a days pay.
Even at $1,000 per voter, (which it would’t need to anywhere near that high) it’s only $219,000,000. We spend that much on toilets seats and hammers.
“2) What holiday do you know of where everyone isnt working?”
I didn’t say “everyone”, exceptions for police, fire, hospitals, etc.
Christmas, Thanksgiving.
Not necessary IMHO.
It’s very easy for people to vote today and those that want to vote will vote.
.
I am voting for Trump. I’m looking ahead only because I think Trump is going to win BIGLY! If he doesn’t win, we are finished and your scenario will probably play out
I want everyone to vote, or as many as possible. The liberal rabid dogs ALL VOTE. The LGBTQ people ALL VOTE. The environmentalists ALL VOTE. The climate change people ALL VOTE. The Atheists ALL VOTE. (And they aren’t voting for Trump)
Do ALL the people who think like you and me vote? No they don’t. They are too busy working.
Let’s give them the day off so they can vote too.
The DEAD people vote and, the dual state residents vote multiple times as well.
We need PAPER BALLOTS AND PURPLE FINGERS.
No, not this.
But perhaps no jury duty on election day?
” If anything we should make it harder.”
I agree in some respects, but a lot of dumbasses already vote.
Remember, while a bonus is to get more people to vote, but the main reason is to prevent media driven voter fraud and nullification.
If everybody votes at once, western states voters votes will mean more to them. The media can’t tell later voters that it’s already over because the Democrat won Ohio.
The treasury maybe by check.
“The real issue, IMO, is how to devise a system which would work in today’s electronic world and honestly reflect the wishes of the voters. We also need to have an educational system beginning in kindergarten that teaches American history honestly and stresses the importance of voting. Everyone has to feel like their vote means something.”
All very fine, but it will take YEARS. Get started, good ideas.
The national voting day can happen fairly quickly.
Perhaps you missed the part about it being a teachable moment for families to go vote together, as a family. An opportunity (day off) to discuss voting, candidates, political parties, etc. It could be a far better education day than if they had gone to school.
And I’m sure those on welfare are going to demand payment for showing up. Well, more payment.
“Good Idea! Pay people to Vote!”
you forgot the sarc tag.
Many of you with this opinion have it WRONG.
It’s NOT paying people to vote, It’s about fair and media manipulation free elections.
It’s NOT paying people to vote, it’s about making whole those that can’t afford to lose a day’s wages.
Myself while retired, wouldn’t need nor would I accept any payment. It wasn’t meant for me.
“The DEAD people vote and, the dual state residents vote multiple times as well.
We need PAPER BALLOTS AND PURPLE FINGERS.”
Maybe so.
“If you make a THOUSAND dollars a day, I dare say you could miss a day”
How very socialistic of you.
$1000/day is $250,000/yr. Much as Leftists like you try to define it, that’s not rich.
Not yours. Bugger off.
Democratic Underground is that way.
Did not miss the part of your recommendation that voting be a teachable moment for families and strongly agree with you. However, IMO, even if we had a national voting day and it was a paid holiday not that many more people would vote and few people would take their children with them that don’t already do so.
It has taken us YEARS to get where we are. It won’t be undone overnight. I rather liken it to church attendance where the father gathers the mother and their kiddos and takes them to Sunday School and church every week, reads the Bible and prays every evening when they all sit down for family dinner. It’s a matter of choice, priorities, lifestyle and accepting that it is one’s responsibility to do so.
“not that many more people would vote and few people would take their children with them that don’t already do so.”
Remembering that this is a secondary benefit, the main reason is to avoid voting fraud and media manipulation of the vote.
Kids would be home with parents and may HAVE TO take them with them. The opportunity to take the kids to the polls would be there if they wanted to take them.
We can do nothing and things will get worse. More early voting, more corruption, voting won’t matter at all.
I refuse to have a defeatist attitude. We CAN make things better if we don’t just quit.
I never knew anyone who didn’t vote once they turned 18.
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Don’t know how young you are Grams but when I turned 18, the voting age was 21.
Even at $1,000 per voter, (which it would’t need to anywhere near that high) it’s only $219,000,000.
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That’s some seriously bad math.
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