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Manning: Make Election Day A National Holiday

ELEVATE CITIZEN IMPORTANCE, ENHANCE ELECTORAL INTEGRITY … By RICK MANNING  ||  Millions of dollars and tens of thousands of man hours are spent every two years trying to get Americans to care enough about candidates or issues enough to go to the polls and vote. Yet, for 146.6 million Americans…

ELEVATE CITIZEN IMPORTANCE, ENHANCE ELECTORAL INTEGRITY …

By RICK MANNING  ||  Millions of dollars and tens of thousands of man hours are spent every two years trying to get Americans to care enough about candidates or issues enough to go to the polls and vote.

Yet, for 146.6 million Americans who have jobs, voting is more complicated than it need be. Why? Because they have to leave home at the crack of dawn and commute to work, only to return after the sun has set. Anyone who has worked at a polling place knows that the early morning and evening are the prime time for turnout, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

While some advocate for mail in voting and other easily corrupted absentee schemes, I think a more simple approach should be taken.
Make Election Day a national holiday, but eliminate all other excuses for not voting with one exception for military and diplomatic personnel stationed overseas.

By creating a new national holiday to vote, Congress would be elevating the importance of citizen participation in the process to a new level. Few would not know that it was Election Day, overcoming the first hurdle for turnout. By getting rid of the alternative voting methods which beg to be abused, the outcomes of elections would likely be more honest.

A study published in the journal “Electoral Studies” concludes that illegal aliens are playing a much greater role in our national elections than anyone had previously suspected. The authors wrote of their study at The Washington Post, “Our best guess, based upon extrapolations from the portion of the sample with a verified vote, is that 6.4 percent of non-citizens voted in 2008 and 2.2 percent of non-citizens voted in 2010.”

There can be little doubt that the single best possible form of election integrity is having everyone show up at their own polling place in person to vote, and by making the day a national holiday, most of the legitimate excuses for not participating are eliminated.

(To continue reading this column, click the link below …)

Rick Manning is the vice president of public policy and communications for Americans for Limited Government. Follow him on Twitter @RManning957.

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28 comments

The Colonel October 30, 2014 at 9:10 am

I’ve got a better idea – fine people for not voting like Australia does. We already have enough freaking “federal holidays” that no one observes except government employees.

And this tool works for Americans For Limited Government?!?

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Smirks October 30, 2014 at 9:31 am

Interesting idea, but SC’s political scene is already a product of the lowest common denominators showing up at the polls, and this would encourage more to show up.

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Sandi Morals October 30, 2014 at 10:27 am

What a racist comment. I wish more blacks would vote for conservatives however you shoudn’t feel threatened by the the “lowest common denominators” you infer are blacks going to the polls.

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Deo Vindice SC October 30, 2014 at 10:31 am

Wow, just think, then we would have black conservative perverts and child molesters who go to church on sunday to troll like Tango does.

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Deo Vindice SC October 30, 2014 at 10:31 am

Wow, just think, then we would have black conservative perverts and child molesters who go to church on sunday to troll like Tango does.

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The Colonel October 30, 2014 at 1:04 pm

How in the hell did you get to race based on what Smirks wrote? “Blacks” are about 27% of the population of this state – we have plenty of “white trash”, low information, mouth breathing “lowest common denominators” running around our fair state.

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Tom October 30, 2014 at 2:08 pm

Typical Republican response. Doesn’t have a clue that she made the only racist comment in the whole exchange. But it does serve to show that Republicans are so racist they don’t even know they are racist or what being a racist is. Maybe that is a positive, but I can’t tell.

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Sandi Morals October 30, 2014 at 10:23 am

A day off to vote? Why not call it “Democrat Steal Elections Day”? With early voting, absentee ballots and mail-in voting no need to give those that don’t work and ride the “perpetual welfare” system a day off to get all drunked up, paid and transported to the polls to vote multiple times. That inclludes illegals.

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grandtangosuglydog October 30, 2014 at 10:45 am

Sandi you seem so blue..if only they would make it “old white guy who owns land voting day and everyone else was excluded”..that would be sweet huh?

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Guest October 30, 2014 at 10:47 am

Oha nd your comment is today winner ..for..you guessed it..the Stupidest Comment of the Day (so Far) congrats Sandi, you and Grand Tango/SCnoonevisitsmywebsite just won a night for two..

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grandtangoglydog October 30, 2014 at 10:59 am

How many names do you have, Buz?

grandtangosuglydog October 30, 2014 at 10:48 am

Oh and your comment is todays winner ..for..you guessed it..the Stupidest Comment of the Day (so Far) congrats Sandi, you and Grand Tango/SCnoonevisitsmywebsite just won a night for two..

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Deo Vindice SC October 30, 2014 at 10:33 am

Great idea Col frag. I like it.

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Tazmaniac October 30, 2014 at 9:13 am

Naw, I think it is preferred that the working people get disenfranchised so the ones that don’t/won’t work can still show up in vans and buses to vote for more freebies. Hey illegals, go to the Washington Post so you can confirm where to vote illegally.

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Smirks October 30, 2014 at 9:16 am

Americans for Limited Government asking for government to create another holiday. Holidays are a core function of government?

Rick “Doesn’t Know Dick” Manning apparently doesn’t think the Free Market™ can do this of its own accord?

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well-i-am into it October 30, 2014 at 9:39 am

The thought has merit. In some parts of the world election day is a national holiday….of course they do not have split elections like the mid-terms we have here. We must celebrate democracy and consciously integrate the democratic process into our holidays and celebrations. That reflects positively on who we are and what we think is important to celebrate. I might also add that we should begin to think of ways for voting online (through a secure network) to boost voter participation.

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idiotwind October 30, 2014 at 10:05 am

funny piece. all the reasonable sounding arguments are contained on this page (everybody gets a day off!) but then you click to the nuthead page where he proves scienticiously that ‘illegals’ are deciding all our elections by maliciously giving a shit about the governance of the place where they live.

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Deo Vindice SC October 30, 2014 at 11:12 am

Ever been to Mexico ?

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nitrat October 30, 2014 at 10:10 am

Retail workers work all national ‘holidays’ now.
Are you going to force businesses to close on voting day when they don’t close for any other holiday?
I don’t have a problem with it. But, I think this would be one more ‘regulation’ for business to resist.

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Deo Vindice SC October 30, 2014 at 10:50 am

Good point, my employer would work us 14 hours 7 days a week 358 days a year, but since we have a real skill, we get a little time off or we’d go elsewhere. That day may come though, I thank god I’ll be dead by then.

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FastEddy23 October 30, 2014 at 10:22 am

… and close down g’ment … without pay.

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Deo Vindick SC October 30, 2014 at 10:37 am

Will I still get my EBT card on time?

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FastEddy23 October 30, 2014 at 11:55 am

Yes, of course. The social engineering wing of the “progressive” Fascist elitist party will insure you against everything possible … even pimples on your pecker.

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Crooner October 30, 2014 at 10:33 am

Interesting piece when the Republican Platform calls for voter ID rules that make it HARDER to vote. Why do we vote on Tuesdays? Why is voting (ostensibly) limited to one day? Because there are interests that benefit from making it difficult for the majority of citizens to vote.

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Crooner October 30, 2014 at 10:33 am

Interesting piece when the Republican Platform calls for voter ID rules that make it HARDER to vote. Why do we vote on Tuesdays? Why is voting (ostensibly) limited to one day? Because there are interests that benefit from making it difficult for the majority of citizens to vote.

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Squishy123 October 30, 2014 at 3:48 pm

And move it to Monday. That way I can take three days off and do nothing.

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swampland October 30, 2014 at 5:25 pm

Perhaps it is best that some people don’t vote.

———————————————————————————————————————————
1 IN 4 AMERICANS THINKS THE SUN GOES AROUND THE EARTH, SURVEY SAYS

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/02/14/277058739/1-in-4-americans-think-the-sun-goes-around-the-earth-survey-says

———————————————————————————————————————————

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VoteSabbath October 30, 2014 at 5:31 pm

Just move elections to Saturday. Solved.

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