THE EVIDENCE
THE CASE FOR WEEKEND VOTING
TURNOUT GOES UP
It’s no secret America’s voter turnout is horrible —31st out of 50 countries in the developed world. That figure, along with arguments for why America’s turnout rate is so low, namely difficult registration procedures comes from the Pew Research Center.
DAY OF ELECTION
There is an active debate, especially in older democracies on how to increase voter turnout. Some of the factors that may increase turnout would require complicated changes in electoral laws and even in constitutions, while others, like changing the day of election, would require little effort but could have a significant impact.
Of the 86 countries that Freedom House labeled as democratic in 1996, and that held elections in one single day almost half of them had their latest election on Sunday. Saturday and Monday were the second most frequent election days. More recent figures also suggest that about half of the countries hold their elections on a non-business day.
A study in 2000 suggested that weekend voting increases turnout rates far above statistical relevance. One analysis found that turnout figures would on average increase between five and six percentage points if Election Day for national elections changed from a weekday to a rest day. When it comes to elections for the European Parliament (which feature extremely low turnout in most EU countries), the same change could account for a nine-percentage point increase.
If election day were moved from a weekday to a Saturday or a Sunday, religious groups that worship on these days might be offended, but there is another possible solution to follow the example of a vast number of countries, including South Africa, Germany, India, Chile, Samoa, Vanuatu and the Philippines, where the election day automatically becomes a holiday.
This study was from a larger International IDEA report, published in 2002, Voter Turnout Since 1945: A Global Report.
STATES THAT MAKE IT EXTRA HARD TO VOTE
If you’re a single mother or father, a student with long hours, or someone — like so many Americans — with two or more jobs, you’re going to have a hard time voting in the 3 states where in-person early voting isn’t permitted, and you need an excuse to vote absentee as the National Conference of State Legislatures points out:
Most states have a method for any eligible voter to cast a ballot before Election Day, either during the early voting period or by requesting an absentee ballot. In 3 states—Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire—in-person early voting is not available, and an excuse is required to request an absentee ballot. 47 states offer pre-election day options, such as early voting, absentee voting, and mail voting.
“TOO BUSY” TO VOTE
That despite Census date which clearly indicates, time after time, the number one reason Americans do not vote is because it is inconvenient to do so. From our FAQ:
U.S. Census data has long indicated the #1 reason voters gave for not making it out to the polls was “too busy/couldn’t get time off to vote.” In 2010, 27% of nonvoters gave this answer.
The 2014 midterm elections were no exception. A staggering 69% of nonvoters fell into this category. From a Pew Research Center survey, as reported by The Washington Post:
A full two-thirds said they simply didn’t have enough time to vote. More than half of this group – 35% of the total – said that scheduling conflicts with work or school kept them from getting to the polls last Tuesday. Another 34% of the total said they were simply too busy, or that they were sick, out of town, or forgot about Election Day.
YOUTH VOTER TURNOUT
“Voting is the foundation stone of political action” -Dr. Martin Luther King
Young people aged 18-24 have the lowest levels of voter registration and turnout. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tuft’s University, 23% of youth voters turned out in 2022.
In 1971, as Governor of Georgia, Jimmy Carter signed legislation to deputize high school principals to register eligible students to vote. President Carter realized the importance of getting young people to participate in the democratic process. Since that time, other states have joined the cause—Texas, Colorado, and Missouri all have laws on the books allowing high school principals to become deputy registrars and register students to vote. We must expand this to all states and ensure these laws are implemented and effective. It’s time we realize President Carter’s vision and make Dr. King’s dream of participating in the political process a reality.
RESTRICTIVE VOTER ID LAWS
Nineteen states require a photo ID to vote and as many as seven million voters do not have one. No Voter Left Behind proposes a common-sense solution that satisfies both sides of the voter ID battle: make a free or reduced government-issued Passport photo ID Card readily available to all citizens. The Passport Card is ideal because:
1. It is Federally administered through over 30,000 post offices throughout the country
2. It has all the benefits of a Passport and satisfies the requirement of every state photo ID law
3. The State Department has the authority to waive or reduce the $65 fee for U.S. citizens who cannot otherwise afford to obtain a Passport Card.
4. It is a bipartisan solution supported by Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Andrew Young, Norm Ornstein, Bill O’Reilly, John Fund, and dozens of Senators and Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle.