Election Day should be a holiday

On Tuesday, 45 percent of registered voters in Pennsylvania turned out to cast their ballots…. On Tuesday, 45 percent of registered voters in Pennsylvania turned out to cast their ballots. G. Terry Madonna, chairman of the political science department at Millersville University of Pennsylvania, called the turnout “mediocre.” When less-than-half attendance is considered mediocre – instead of terrible – the system needs some changes.

It is important to keep in mind that 45 percent – a mere 42 percent in Allegheny County – only refers to the percentage of people who have registered to vote. That percentage would be much more disappointing if it considered the vast number of people who didn’t even take the time to register.

The problem of voter turnout is ongoing. Despite the encouragement, the television ads and the voter drives, people still aren’t voting. Worse yet, our standards for attendance have dropped along with the turnout. Now, 45 percent – a failing grade on just about any exam – is not so bad.

Instead of pushing, prodding and nagging people to vote, it may be more effective to make them want to vote. It is entirely possible that many people don’t make it out to the polls because they have job obligations on Election Day. If the first Tuesday in November was a national holiday, those who cite work as an obstacle would have no excuse.

Given the importance of this special day, it would not be out of line to dress it up with some fanfare. Give voters the day off, encourage family get-togethers and parties – make it something to look forward to. Transforming Election Day from a burden to a celebration would not only boost the numbers, it would give card companies one more holiday to exploit.

In addition, the state should put the candidates to work getting people in the polls. This was a record year for gubernatorial candidate spending. If each candidate was required to put even 1 percent of his or her multimillion dollar budget toward nonpartisan voting ads, voting promotion would receive a healthy boost.

If future elections are to avoid bleak turnouts like this one, steps must be taken to encourage voters. Some might call it pandering, but there is something to be said for making voting day an enjoyable occasion. It’s worth a try. If people were excited about choosing their leaders, mediocre might end up back where it belongs – 75 percent.