A California lawmaker introduced bill Thursday that would make Election Day a state holiday in order to boost voter turnout.
The legislation from Assemblyman Evan Low, if passed, would make the Tuesday after the first Monday in November a day off for schools and public employees.
“I think this will ensure that more people will be able to participate in the electoral process,” Low told Mercury News.
The bill would not impact private businesses.
Some states have already made Election Day a civic holiday, including New Jersey and West Virginia. But this bill could potentially have a major impact on the general election popular vote as California is the most populous state with approximately 39.2 million as of July 1, 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Data from the California secretary of state shows that about 75 percent of registered voters cast votes (approximately 19.4 million people out of 24.8 million).
In the state-wide elections, like the presidential contest, California is typically a reliably Democrat-safe state. Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump by over 4 million votes, helping her secure a nearly 3 million vote lead in the popular vote, while losing the Electoral College vote.
