Valley Voice: Election Day should be a national holiday
Election Day should be a national holiday.
There are many sound reasons why we should do this.
First and foremost, it would give everyone an equal chance to vote. Many people find it difficult to take time off from work to vote in the election. Work schedules are tight and if there is a traffic accident or delay, people are unable to get to the polls on time. If all businesses closed on that special day, folks would find it much easier to get to vote. Traffic would be lighter, and people would be able to get to their own polling place without a transportation hassle.
Second, working mothers would not have to worry about their children in daycare. They could take their kids with them to the polls or leave them with a family member. Mothers have a tough job of trying to work, pick up the kids, get to the grocery store and many other tasks every day of the week. Voting is a hassle when you are trying to multi-task. Having the day off would give parents more flexibility about when they could leave their homes to vote.
Three, this would send a strong message to our children about the importance of voting. Students learn about the three branches of government in their history classes. However, many students find it all too complicated and boring as they are too young to vote. They think it is an adult thing. Having said that, seeing that the country takes a whole day off just so people can vote would demonstrate the importance of voting. It would also show how democracy works.
Fourth, I believe there would be less of this voter fraud business that has been talked about these last few years. If we had a national holiday, we would have plenty of poll watchers to make sure everything was honest and above board. Poll workers would be less stressed as people would not all be coming at the same time. In other words, they would be staggered instead of coming in the early mornings or late evenings depending on their work schedules. There would be plenty of time for making intelligent decisions because the lines would be shorter, fewer people and not so much noise.
Last, but not least, it would give our country a spirit of unity. Everyone would be celebrating Election Day at one time. It would not matter if you were a Republican, an independent or a Democrat. It would be a day to celebrate one of the greatest gifts we have as Americans, the freedom to vote and choose who we want to run our government.
Our country has been quite divided the last four or five years. I believe this would be a great way to bring the states back together. It could also be a time of great patriotism. We could have parades like we do for Veteran’s Day and other celebrations.
Voting by mail is still an option for many people. I personally always vote by mail, but many people still prefer to go to the polls and vote in person.
We have our problems, but the fact remains that we are still a free and strong country.
Making Election Day a national holiday is a win-win for our citizens, students and our beautiful nation. Let’s encourage our elected representatives in Congress to make this become a reality by Nov. 5, 2024.
Ray Matlock Smythe is an author/retired teacher. He can be reached at Rayme49@aol.com
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Valley Voice: Election Day should be a national holiday
