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Election Day should be a Federal Holiday

Federal Holiday for Election Day?

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cpwill

cpwill

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It should - it should be a "civics" holiday; similar to Memorial Day, or the 4th of July.
 
Yes - a civic holiday would be good. Having a holiday on Election Day would encourage people to do their civic duty.
 
Yeah I'd agree to that. Better that, push it (election day) a week ahead and combine it with 11/11 so you can observe two important American activities as a day off.
 
Well I see it this way - When the majority of decent Americans accross this nation kick that no good for nothing Obama to the curb.
It will be a GRAND HOLIDAY .
 
Gipper said:
Yeah I'd agree to that. Better that, push it (election day) a week ahead and combine it with 11/11 so you can observe two important American activities as a day off.
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:) I vote we get rid of withholding, and then make it the day after tax day :D. you pay for government, then you go vote for who you want to run it next with that check still on your mind.
 
Agree that it should be a holiday.
 
I'd definitely agree with making it a holiday. Nevertheless there are always folks out there who probably can't afford to even sacrifice a day's worth of income in order to take a day off and go to the polls.
 
Believe me if Obama is given the boot in Nov. 2012 there will be nearly as much revelry whoopla in celebrations as New Years.

In my celebration I will be quoting a Republican activist: "Free at last, free at last. Thank God almighty we're free at last."

The cost in loss of production is too much and we have enough Holidays on the books.

Nsxt thing you know some idiot is going to want a Sharia Holiday.

HELL NO!
 
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It should be a holiday.
 
Councilman said:
Believe me if Obama is given the boot in Nov. 2012 there will be nearly as much revelry whoopla in celebrations as New Years.

In my celebration I will be quoting a Republican activist: "Free at last, free at last. Thank God almighty we're free at last."

The cost in loss of production is too much and we have enough Holidays on the books.

Nsxt thing you know some idiot is going to want a Sharia Holiday.

HELL NO!
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Awesome....Well Said.
 
Nope. Totally against that idea. We already have too many morons and buffoons who show up to vote. I say at least make sure they have to earn their right to destroy this country by taking the time to remember and to show up.
 
I support this. Working a job can make it hard for people to go and vote after work. It may also allow for polling places to run more smoothly versus having a boom of people coming in to vote after business hours. I don't see a downside to making election day a federal holiday.
 
digsbe said:
I support this. Working a job can make it hard for people to go and vote after work. It may also allow for polling places to run more smoothly versus having a boom of people coming in to vote after business hours. I don't see a downside to making election day a federal holiday.
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More voters. That IS the downside. In a day and age when the educated and informed voter is largely a thing of the past, about the worst thing possible would be an INCREASE in the number of voters at the polls.
 
Tigger said:
More voters. That IS the downside. In a day and age when the educated and informed voter is largely a thing of the past, about the worst thing possible would be an INCREASE in the number of voters at the polls.
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That's an illogical argument. Unless, are you implying that people who will go out to vote if they have no job barriers barring them from voting are somehow more uneducated and less informed by those who would not be barred from voting due to their job? Or even those that have no job?

Whether you like it or not Americans have the right to vote. We should not prevent jobs from keeping people from this privilege. I think it's very tyrannical to actively try and keep people from exercising their democratic rights because you believe they are all uneducated and ill-informed.
 
digsbe said:
That's an illogical argument. Unless, are you implying that people who will go out to vote if they have no job barriers barring them from voting are somehow more uneducated and less informed by those who would not be barred from voting due to their job? Or even those that have no job?

Whether you like it or not Americans have the right to vote. We should not prevent jobs from keeping people from this privilege. I think it's very tyrannical to actively try and keep people from exercising their democratic rights because you believe they are all uneducated and ill-informed.
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I am of the opinion that we need a Constitutional Amendment requiring a Competency Exam for all voters, taken not more than 30 days before every election. This would be a 50 question, multiple choice exam based on the offices, candidates, and questions on the ballot. It would be created by each registrar of voters and be approved by both parties. Questions would be simple, straight-forward, and could not be based on OPINION.

For example, THIS question might appear on my Exam next year: "If Scott Brown wins his election on this ballot, when would he next be up for re-election to that office?" The answer to this question requires three very simple and what should be well-known bits of information.....

1. Scott Brown is a US Senator
2. US Senators are elected for a term of six(6) years
3. 2012 + 6 = 2018.

My guess is that probably a solid half of Massachusetts registered voters would not know the answer without the multiple-choice options, and that even with them about a third would still get it wrong. I will say that for Connecticut and Rhode Island, the other two places I've lived as well.

This is BASIC CIVICS. If people cannot answer a question like that, why the hell should we be allowing them to influence the system with their votes? Do you know why only "White, Land-Owning, Males" were allowed to vote at first?.... They were the only group that was likely to be EDUCATED and INFORMED enough to understand the issues of the day, the platforms of the candidates, and how those things went together.

As part of that same amendment, I would require ALL candidates in an area to provide FREE OF COST both their voting record and a platform/policy statement IN WRITING (fact checked by an independent company), available to all potential voters in their area through the Post Office, Library, City Hall, and Registrar of Voter's Office a MINIMUM of 90 days before the election. That information is what the examination questions would be based on.
 
Tigger said:
More voters. That IS the downside. In a day and age when the educated and informed voter is largely a thing of the past, about the worst thing possible would be an INCREASE in the number of voters at the polls.
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If you feel that there are too many people who vote in this country you are more than welcome to prove your conviction to this cause and stay at home on election day.
 
Tigger said:
I am of the opinion that we need a Constitutional Amendment requiring a Competency Exam for all voters, taken not more than 30 days before every election. This would be a 50 question, multiple choice exam based on the offices, candidates, and questions on the ballot. It would be created by each registrar of voters and be approved by both parties. Questions would be simple, straight-forward, and could not be based on OPINION.

For example, THIS question might appear on my Exam next year: "If Scott Brown wins his election on this ballot, when would he next be up for re-election to that office?" The answer to this question requires three very simple and what should be well-known bits of information.....

1. Scott Brown is a US Senator
2. US Senators are elected for a term of six(6) years
3. 2012 + 6 = 2018.

My guess is that probably a solid half of Massachusetts registered voters would not know the answer without the multiple-choice options, and that even with them about a third would still get it wrong. I will say that for Connecticut and Rhode Island, the other two places I've lived as well.

This is BASIC CIVICS. If people cannot answer a question like that, why the hell should we be allowing them to influence the system with their votes? Do you know why only "White, Land-Owning, Males" were allowed to vote at first?.... They were the only group that was likely to be EDUCATED and INFORMED enough to understand the issues of the day, the platforms of the candidates, and how those things went together.

As part of that same amendment, I would require ALL candidates in an area to provide FREE OF COST both their voting record and a platform/policy statement IN WRITING (fact checked by an independent company), available to all potential voters in their area through the Post Office, Library, City Hall, and Registrar of Voter's Office a MINIMUM of 90 days before the election. That information is what the examination questions would be based on.
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The only problem with this is that it would give certain political groups an incentive to inhibit education in certain areas. So in areas where political groups want to give the edge to their constituent voters they could affect public education. For example, they could pour more public education funding to those areas more likely to vote for them and defund public education in areas more likely to vote against them.

Which will thus politicize our education system even more and make a bigger wreck of things than they already are.
 
Tigger said:
More voters. That IS the downside. In a day and age when the educated and informed voter is largely a thing of the past, about the worst thing possible would be an INCREASE in the number of voters at the polls.
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Just because a large number of voters disagree with you does not mean they are not educated or informed.
 
cpwill said:
It should - it should be a "civics" holiday; similar to Memorial Day, or the 4th of July.
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I've always favored this, and was argued against in past thread about it.
 
A paid holiday then? :-D
Sent from my Venue Pro using Board Express
 
cpwill said:
It should - it should be a "civics" holiday; similar to Memorial Day, or the 4th of July.
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Wow im shocked CPwill...you advocating for another paid holiday for govt workers...:lamo:lamo
 
Yes! Hell yes it should be a holiday!
 
lpast said:
Wow im shocked CPwill...you advocating for another paid holiday for govt workers...:lamo:lamo
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:D we have Veterans Day around the same time - simply combine the two for federal workforce purposes.


but you are right to point out that most federal workers are intelligent, handsome, winsome, and deserving of a pay raise. :D
 
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Tigger said:
More voters. That IS the downside. In a day and age when the educated and informed voter is largely a thing of the past, about the worst thing possible would be an INCREASE in the number of voters at the polls.
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but what kind of voters will be showing up.

hint; the ones with jobs. for the ones who sit around collecting checks, it is already the functional equivalent of a holiday. what happened in the panhandle in 2000 would never occur again; whereas those who already demonstrate little to no willingness to go to the polls are more likely to take advantage of the holiday to sit around and do nothing / bar-b-que.
 
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