Why is America voting on a tuesday ?

almost every other country votes on a sunday, which kinda makes sense. you want people to be able to participate in a vote and thats difficult if you have a job, especially when i see the long lines for voting in America. why is that ? cant you just open another voting "office", this all seems terrible organized and planned.

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LeopoldBloom · M

Most states have early voting, and it's estimated that at least half of all voters will have already voted by election day. In 2020, the Republicans discouraged early voting, but have encouraged it this year, with many rural voters taking advantage of it by voting on the day most convenient for them. Early voting is much better than other proposals, like making election day a national holiday.

The long lines are deliberate. You see these in Republican-controlled states in urban areas that tend to vote Democratic. Here in Georgia, it's even illegal to offer water to people standing in lines. Where I grew up, in California, polling places were in peoples' living rooms, and I rarely had to wait more than a few minutes to vote. In Oregon, 100% of voting was by mail, so it was even more convenient.

There can be long lines for early voting as even fewer polling places are open. This year, we arrived at ours about 15 minutes before it opened and didn't have to wait too long.

FreeLilly · 18-21, F

@LeopoldBloom shouldnt all states use the same rules for voting when its a country wide vote ? i mean do your thing if its your state... but for a nationwide election there should be standards

MethDozer · M

@FreeLilly The Presidential election is kind of sham. It a not actually a national election and the people don't actually vote in the President. It's a series of individual states holding 50 individual elections and even then it's not really an election. The Electoral college actual elects the President. Our votes are in reality just a suggestion on who our states electors should pick. In reality, under federal law, the electorates don't have to pick who wins the peoples votes. Only something like 29 state have state laws that mandate the state's Electoral College pick the majority vote in the state.

It's a total sham really to make us feel better. But in reality it's not a democratic election.

independentone · M

@MethDozer True, which is why I refuse to vote until the electoral college is scrapped.

MethDozer · M

@independentone That doesn't help.

independentone · M

@MethDozer Neither does a corrupt electoral college

LeopoldBloom · M

@FreeLilly Not necessarily, although all of them should comply with the Voting Rights Act.

Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution says "Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, A Number of Electors..." So if you want elections held under national standards under the direction of the federal government, you'd need a constitutional amendment. One strength of our system is that it's decentralized, so "stealing" an election would require the coordinated actions of thousands of people, which would be nearly impossible. As the other commenter said, it's not one national election; it's 50 separate state elections.

That being said, I think we should abolish the Electoral College and elect the President by national popular vote.

Spoiledbrat · F

I already voted. @LeopoldBloom