Gary N. Gray
Why not an American National Voting Day?
It is hard to believe the US government is unable to bring
registered voters to the election polls. Statistics tell us that only
sixty percent of registered voters went to the polls and voted in the last
national election. Americans should take charge of their future. But a
two-percent presidential victory is insufficient for any presidential
mandate, and it is not taking charge of the nation’s future, especially
when only 60% of registered voters participated in the electoral process.
And, oddly, that is a high percentage of voters in this nation.
President George W. Bush is, nevertheless, acting like all
Americans voted for him and he has some mandate from the people. In the
1980’s a new low was set when only forty-three percent of Americans cast
their votes. Consider this, the number of votes cast in the continents of
Africa, Asian, and Western Europe is often higher than eighty five
percent. Most of those citizens have a difficult time getting to their
polling places; even war–torn Iraq drew seventy-five percent to the
polls in spite of their having to face bullets, bombs, checkpoints, and
even the threat of death. Most foreign countries declare voting day a
national holiday--a day to vote and a one-day vacation.
For over ten years, Congress has debated making election day a
legal national holiday. There have been many discussions in American
cities on the same issue but to no avail. Election day should be a day
when every registered American voter could take their time voting.
Presently the polls open at 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. usually on a
Tuesday or Thursday, which are school and working days. Most Americans
attempted to vote either early in the morning, before going to work and
taking their children to school or early in the evening after work. The
increase in city traffic has made it more difficult to vote in the
evening; so most citizens give up their right to vote. They are tired;
many have to provide for their children and sometimes they have to prepare
dinner for their families before going to the polls. With all of these
factors working against them, they will frequently relinquish voting.
Meanwhile, there are very few votes cast during 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is
wasted time and money,
The current groups of faithful voters are the very young
(21-28), seniors (55 and over), and the very rich and the very poor. The
largest non-voting group is the 30-50 years old middle class. What is very
interesting and somewhat shocking is that the youngest voters (18-20 year
olds) hardly ever step into a polling booth. What a disgrace.
In 1996-1997 President William Jefferson Clinton floated this old
idea again. The President wanted to know how Congress felt about this
idea. The National American Voters Day idea died immediately after
President Clinton made his public statements in Washington, D.C. The
Republican Party beat the subject into the ground and stated that it would
be a huge business loss for American industry. It seems that Capitalism is
more important than democracy to many in Congress.
It now takes a two-thirds majority vote by the Senate and House to
pass any bill amending the Constitution. The current Republican Party
would never permit a National Voting Holiday; one reason may be that there
are still more registered Democrats then Republicans, and the Republican
Party may be afraid they would be voted out if every registered voter took
the time to cast his/her vote. This fear is unfounded and not a very good
reason for not considering the American National Voting Day. Most
registered Democrats, vote on the issues and on candidates, not the party.
Were this not true, the United States would have had ten straight Democrat
presidents within the past thirty-five years. Registered Republicans seem
to hold party lines on issues and candidates even to the detriment of
their party.
Americans have an insurmountable mission ahead if they want to
bring American National Voting Day to fruition. Acquiring ninety percent
or more of the electorate in all elections should be a coveted American
standard especially since we are now extolling Democracy as a God-given
right of every person on the planet, even at the point of military threat
and military use.
END OF PART ONE
