Weekend Voting for Federal Elections Proposals and Views

Voting is fundamental to our democracy, yet many U.S. citizens who are eligible to vote do not take advantage of their constitutional right to vote in federal elections. For instance, about 62 percent of eligible citizens voted in the November 2008 general election and about 42 percent voted in the November 2010 general election. Policymakers, legislators, researchers, and advocacy organizations have explored ways to make voting more convenient with the goal of increasing voter turnout. Various bills have been introduced in Congress since 1995 to increase voter convenience by changing the day of presidential and congressional elections from Tuesday to the weekend. This book focuses on issues related to implementing weekend elections and The Help America Vote Act.