Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell R-Ky., did Republicans no favors by calling a Democratic proposal to make voting day a federal holiday a “power grab.” Supporting voting, the fundamental underpinning of democracy, must be a bipartisan issue.
Speaking on the Senate floor, McConnell singled out making Election Day a holiday, part of broader proposed legislation to make voting easier, asking “This is the Democrat plan to restore democracy?” Adding, “A power grab that’s smelling more and more like exactly what it is.” He specifically accused them of trying to harness government workers as their get-out-the-vote army on a day when most other people will still have to work one way or the other.
One might well ponder why, after a prolonged government shutdown, Republicans might be wary of federal workers. Yet it is undeniable that having Election Day on a normal business day in the U.S. adds an extra burden to citizens eager to exercise their rights — including federal workers.
It’s also worth pointing out that in most other democracies around the world, weekday voting is the exception, not the rule. Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, and many other countries already hold their elections on weekends. Other countries, like Israel, do what the Democrats are proposing: making Election Day a holiday.
An Election Day holiday is clearly not a cure-all to slumping voter participation. But as Pew Research data show, one of the main reasons that voters fail to participate is work schedule conflicts and being too busy. The proposed election holiday would, in part, address those complaints.
Republicans and Democrats should be clear in their support for voting and eliminating barriers to participating in elections. Here’s a chance to do just that.
