In an effort to increase access to polling places for American voters, Kohl and his co-sponsor, Senator Corzine, have introduced a bill that would move federal elections to the first weekend in November and open polling places for uniform hours over the two days. Kohl's bill addresses a major shift in the way Americans vote, as voters increasingly opt to vote absentee or early because of increased crowding at the polls.
The Presidential elections of 2000 and 2004 demonstrated many problems in our election system. The elections also highlighted some of the barriers to voting which have kept too many from the polls over the years. If we are to eliminate these barriers and conduct federal elections which truly ensure equal access to the polls and protect voters' rights, as already required by law, we need to have consistent standards for voting systems and the administration of elections.
The Weekend Voting Act calls for the polls to be open the same hours across the continental United States, addressing the challenge of keeping results on one side of the country, or even a State, from influencing voting in places where polls are still open. Moving elections to the weekend will expand the pool of buildings available for polling stations and people available to work at the polls, addressing the critical shortage of poll workers. Weekend voting also has the potential to increase voter turnout by giving all voters ample opportunity to get to the polls without creating a national holiday.
We must work to to make our elections better.
This is an outstanding bill for election reform. Please write your Senators and ask them to support this bill.