Interesting timing. I just found out I have to attend a conference on Tuesday and it will be difficult for me to get home to vote before the polls close (I have to go the night before, so early morning is out). Why Tuesday indeed?

By the way, regardless of your political affilation, isn't it an insult to suggest that your vote should be swayed by Sen. Kerry's foot in mouth disease?

Flavia, ssshhhhhh. Switching voting day to the weekend is out of the question - it's football season!

Voting on Tuesday's has never made sense to me since I was old enough to vote just a few years ago (ahem). We need to change it. Where do I sign? The more citizens that vote - the better. By the way, which party does low voter turnout generally favor in recent times?

In my opinion, Election Day should be made a national holiday. That would increase participation. Keeping it on Tuesday would decrease the amount of people who choose to take a long weekend away out of the deal if it was moved to a day of the week like Friday or Monday.

Bob Brady's comment that Ward leader will resign and then be reappointed the next day so they can use their houses as polling places is why you should vote republican. The democrats are rule makers, but just not for them.
Voting should be a week long process, give everyone enough time to get to the polls.

I have to agree with BradyDale. Changing the day would only change the excuse people use for not voting. Putting it on a weekend would be a death knell - kids' soccer games, football games, travel plans, "I only get two days out of the week to get anything done...", etc.

If we're going to use the age of digital information at all, I'd rather see the move towards being able to vote wherever you are. However it can be set up to verify ID and minimize voter fraud, I think it would be great to be able to go to work and vote on the way, or when I get there, or on my lunch hour, or on my way home, or at any time that turns out to be convenient that day.

But even if that change were possible, the bottom line still is people who care are the people who vote and the people who care enough to vote will find a time and a way to do it. The people who don't care won't vote even if you make an in person visit with ballot in hand.

Unfortunately, some people want to vote but cannot get excused time from work. We definitely need to look into this. I think a few percentage points of increase translates into some changed outcomes in races. I know of people that had to leave the voting line because they only had so much time before they had to be back at work. People coming up with excuses not to vote are one thing, but at least by making it a holiday or a non-work day, they have that choice.

Making election day a national holiday is the best option in my opinion. It would encourage people to get out and perform their civic duty.

It's not about the day. What difference is Saturday or Sunday to Tuesday. Many people still have to work. Weekends are times when people who work during the week go away, shop. etc. So I don't see the answer there.

Maybe it's the time of year. Why not May to vote instead of November? Nicer weather?

How about voting over a week's time or a couple days to vote; Friday, Saturday? Giving people the option to work their schedules.

Maybe a national holiday to vote? Maybe industry/corporate America giving people 2 or 3 hours of PAID WORK to go vote.

Maybe we all ought to take a History lesson again and realize how many people fought and died for us to vote. It is sad that I have to press people to vote. I work as a Judge of Elections all day (and that means from 6 AM to late, late evening) so that others can vote. It really upsets me when people tell me it's not important enough to vote; that their vote doesn't count.

It's not the day. It's the culture. Change that.
It's about making a difference. Understanding how valuable you are as a citizen and not taking things for granted.

I hear some states are doing lotteries for money and flu shots to get people to vote. How sad.

It's not about voting on a Tuesday in November.
It's something much bigger than that.

Like the old guys say "If they can put a man on the moon..."

I think that changes will be made, and I think it is time to start talking about it. This is where it all starts, with the Citizen asking questions, talking, and making little ripples in the water that expand as they reach outward...

Every now and then it is good to be reminded that this is how change starts, with you and me. CH - What a great forum to begin!

Now it's time to go knock on doors.

Tuesday is equallly inconvenient for everybody. I'm sure it's not what the founding fathers had in mind, but Friday would be bad for people who work in restaurants, Saturdays would be bad for devout Jews, Sundays would be bad for devout Christians, Mondays would favor barbers.

Tuesdays, though, there's nothing special about Tuesdays, for any culture or profession.

The polls open early and close late, and many states allow people to file absentee ballots upon request. Make that universal, and the day of the actual tallying doesn't matter.

Frankly, if people find Tuesday to be too inconvenient, they're probably not motivated enough to study the issues and the candidates either. Just as well that they stay home.

Just an update..the polls are humming. My precint here in Louisiana was moving along, no lines. Melancon will win in a walk. Over in Precint 2 Jefferson has quite an army working. More signs than I can count. Runoff maybe? Harry Lee, the world famous Sheriff of Jefferson Parish has endorsed Troy Carter and he had a good group of folks working the streets yesterday. That should be interesting, although I see Karen Carter doing the best. We shall see. Since I was a little boy, not old enough to vote, election day has always been an exciting, and serious day, whichever day it falls on. Please go vote today. Our future depends on it. I'm out. Times a-wasting! God, I Love America!!!

Permanent "Vote by Mail" status solves all issues for those who find it difficult to make it to the polls on Tuesday, the traditional Election Day. I personally feel that the election day should not be changed. We've adapted to the tradition for more than 145 years, and no other day could ever be found that would be will optimal for all voting citizens.

excuses, excuses.First voting should be a civic obligation. Second have a day to be convenient for most and not a working day, third mandatory provide an ID and fourth no early voting except of certain reasons. Voting a month early makes no sense, a lot of events can happen that can change our reason we vote for one person or the other.
Oh, one more thing, NO MORE DELEGATES AND SUPER DELEGATES. I don't want anybody to change my vote.
Plurality is democracy.

so informative, thanks to tell us.