In 2005. Rep. John Conyers of Michigan proposed a bill to make election day a federal holiday called "Democracy Day." In order for this bill to become law it must be re-proposed to the current Congress.
I think election day should be a national holiday. That would increase voter turn-out, and make more people available to work at the polls. Some people who work multiple jobs are forced to wait in long lines, and may not vote. Some people are not physically able to stand in long lines for hours.
In 2004, 129,000 people in Ohio were disenfranchised of their right to vote. This cannot happen again. With record high voter turnout predicted, we should be prepared, and paper ballots should be available. Make sure you get to vote!
I realize that many states have early voting, and absentee ballots, but making election day a national holiday would convey that voting is an important civic duty and democracy should be celebrated. Most kids are off from school anyway. Other countries have voting on a weekend, and have made election day a federal holiday, and they use the traditional paper ballots.
In Georgia, where they have early voting, people recently had to wait in line for 4, 5, and even 6 hours to vote. Wow.
I think paper ballots should be used and votes hand counted. Some electronic voting machines leave no paper trail and can make errors. I am worried about the touch screen machines. They use those machines where I vote.
I can feel the excitement in the air! Where I vote, normally there is no line, but I guess I should be prepared to stand in line. Our 7 yr. old is excited about the election too!
Make sure your vote is counted!
UPDATE MON NIGHT: I have just heard that early voters have been waiting in line to vote in Fla. for up to 9 hrs. And there are not enough voting machines in battleground states to deal with the predicted huge increase in voter turnout for tomorrow's election. There could be chaos!