For Americans, voting is a means of safeguarding the citizens’ desires. But the voter turnout in presidential elections, which boast the highest turnout, has hovered between 49 and 63 percent for the last fifty years. This is low especially for industrialized democracies.
Many factors surrounding Election Day prevent voters from showing up to the polls, but the day itself especially stratifies lower-income communities where people cannot find childcare or the ability to take time off to vote.
This petition proposes that legislators review the 19th century law that set Election Day and revise it to fit the country’s current needs. A new federal holiday—or the combination of Election Day and Veteran’s Day (November 11)—will help increase voter turnout and political legitimacy.