Demand a 2016 Election Day Holiday!

VOTER turnout in America is pathetic and is something we should be ashamed of. Most countries hold their elections on the weekend so more people can vote. We should do the same. Until then, we can ask President Obama to declare Tuesday, 8 NOV 16 a one time federal holiday. Click here to sign the petition and here to sign on as a sponsor of +Senator Bernie Sanders bill to make election day Democracy Day, a national holiday. Thank you Bernie!!!!!

President Obama,

I urge you to use your authority to make the November 8th, 2016, Election Day a one-time federal holiday.

As you know, our democracy is in crisis. Fewer than 40% of Americans voted in our last midterm election, and our overall turnout rarely breaks 60%. That puts us at 120th out of 169 countries for average voter turnout. This is unacceptable for a country founded on the bold idea of a democracy for and by the people.

Instead of taking actions to make voting more accessible, some in positions of power are implementing more and more voter suppression tactics, most of which resulted from the Supreme Court’s gutting of the historic Voting Rights Act. Since this decision, nearly every state has introduced bills to make voting harder, and many states have done just that through discriminatory voter photo ID bills or drastic cuts to early voting days, same day registration, and other suppressive measures.

This is all on top of our problematic voting infrastructure that leaves poor communities and communities of color stuck in prohibitively long lines at polls during every national election.

I am not willing to stand by and let this be the America I live in.

That is why I am calling on you to restore democracy and make the 2016 Election Day a one-time federal holiday – and thereby give all states and businesses permission to follow your lead.

This will be a concrete step toward increasing access to voting by giving busy families more time to vote while decreasing lines at the peak times before and after work. And this executive action will help shine a well-needed spotlight on poor turnout and voting access in this country. It would be a step in the right direction toward making the polling place more – not less – accessible.

I urge you to lead on this issue and help us take this important step toward reclaiming the democracy we deserve.

Prioritize democracy above all else for just one day.

Thank you,

Brave New Films
Common Cause
Courage Campaign
Daily Kos
Left Action
People Demanding Action
People For the American Way
Presente.org
RootsAction.org
The Nation
Watchdog.net
Why Tuesday?