Why is the US election on tuesday?

[Ben Kenobi]

Like the religious people can't just drop by the booth on the way to or from their place of worship. Or does the average religious americans spend ten hours at church on a sunday?

Or a Democrat couldn't stop to the polling booth on Tuesday before going to work.

Many religious people do try to keep the sabbath, as a day of rest, which precludes travelling out of their way to go to the booth.

[Ben Kenobi]

Actually, it would increase Democratic turnout, since the Tuesday date hampers working class voters, who are overwhelmingly Democratic, from voting.

If that's so, why aren't they voting for the communist party? Clearly all the workers like to give their money to the state.

Republicans would be away for the weekend on their yachts, so it's they who would suffer the lower turnout.

That's why Kerry is the richer of the two candidates, eh? I'd think him to appeal more to the yachting class, particularly since he served on a swift boat.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi
Or a Democrat couldn't stop to the polling booth on Tuesday before going to work.

I don't actually want people too lazy to find sometime in the 12 hours the polls are open to stop by without the government helping them to get there to be voting. Just like I'd rather the non-voters of '00 continue that trend.

[Ben Kenobi]

Sure, but Jesus picks the winner.

Wow, what did Chicago ever do to deserve their punishment?

[DinoDoc]

Something about a goat.

[Kropotkin]

While I find any religious argument against voting on a sunday as moronic, I do agree that's hardly a priority. It's more like a perculiar oddity. The fact that many american states seems unable to organise an election on any day should be a reason for much more concern.

[Sprayber]

Originally posted by Ming


I agree...

And Kropotkin... They couldn't make it Sunday for religious reasons... the hard core fundies would have a cow.

Alternately they would see it as a sign to get out and use religion as a basis for their vote.

A second holiday in November would be great

[Shi Huangdi]

I believe one of the reasons Teusday is supported now is that Election Day is a holiday for some people, and if it were on a monday people might take 3 day weekends instead of voting. Similarly, if it were on a weekend, they might go out on vacation rather then vote.

[The Mad Monk]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
Don't forget temps, who don't even get Christmas or Thanksgiving off as paid holidays.

I don't know what temp firm you worked for, but when I worked for LabSupport, we had seven paid holidays (New Years, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas), and a week's paid vacation to boot.

There were minimum work times you needed to complete before you got them, but they were pretty reasonable.

I worked for them five years. Medical wasn't bad, either.

[Boris Godunov]

I work (not as a temp) for the largest staffing company in the world.

And the vast majority of temps don't work enough hours to qualify for a significant amount of paid holidays. I don't know the precise hours needed, but keep in mind most temps actually don't work 40-hour weeks.

There's no paid vacation time. But there is a pretty good benefits package, which is activated after working for 40 hours.

I've never heard of LabSupport, but given my experience, I'd say what they offer is an anomaly. I know my company offers one of the all-round best programs for temps in terms of leave and benefits among the major temporary firms.

[Patroklos]

I think they have to let you off to vote.

Trust me, if my boss could keep me at work he would.

[Boris Godunov]

Yes, employers do have to let you leave to vote. But that doesn't mean hourly employees will get paid for the time they take to go vote. So a struggling working class mother would have to take several hours off to go vote and thus losing wages.

[Spiffor]

Several hours?

It takes my parents 20 minutes max to vote, from their leaving home to their coming back.

[Boris Godunov]

See AH's thread.

Due to huge turnout, polling places have had lines lasting up to 4-5 hours in some places. This is particularly true in poor, working class districts. There's also a shortage of poll workers that slows things up.

[Patroklos]

That 4-5 was not an epedemic by any means. They can always go to the polls before work, like say my dad is. He is salary btw, and just thinks it would be irresponisble to miss work when he doesn't have too.

I find it a good thing that turnout is so great it is exceeding what was expected and planned for.