Proposal: Make Election Day a Federal Holiday
Pro/Con Summary
PRO:
CON:
Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russell-c-smith/its-time-to-make-election_b_1898865.html
http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/12/opinion/ctl-election-holiday
- Giving working Americans the day off for Election Day would give them more time to make it to the polls.
- Recognizing the importance of Election Day with a holiday status would amplify the day’s importance in the eyes of Americans and further encourage eligible citizens to vote.
CON:
- An additional federal economy would have adverse personal and societal economic consequences. Forcing working Americans to take an unpaid day off from work would reduce their income and make it harder to support their families. Moreover, reduced productivity would cut back on collective economic output and tax revenue.
- Making Election Day a federal holiday might make it harder for Americans reliant on public transportation to get to the polls, as many transit systems have lighter schedules on holidays.
- If children are given the day off from school, parents who don’t get the day off would be burdened with having to find supervision for their kids.
Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russell-c-smith/its-time-to-make-election_b_1898865.html
http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/12/opinion/ctl-election-holiday