[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 150 (Monday, September 18, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S5804]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REED (for himself, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Brown, Mr. King, Mr. 
        Franken, and Mr. Whitehouse):
  S. 1828. A bill to change the date for regularly scheduled general 
elections for Federal office to the first Saturday and Sunday after the 
first Friday in November in every even-numbered year; to the Committee 
on Rules and Administration.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I am pleased to be joined by Senators 
Klobuchar, Brown, King, Franken, and Whitehouse in introducing the 
Weekend Voting Act. This bill makes voting in Federal elections easier 
and more accessible through one simple change: moving Election Day from 
Tuesday to the following Saturday and Sunday in November of an election 
year.
  We know from surveys and common sense that Tuesday voting stands in 
the way of greater voter participation. In 1845, Congress set Tuesday 
as Election Day because it was the easiest day for farmers--then 
travelling by horse and buggy--to make it to the polls in the course of 
their regular Tuesday trips to bring goods to market. Tuesday voting 
has no such benefit for farmers, or anyone else, in the 21st Century. 
It does, however, force many Americans to choose between their workday 
and family responsibilities, and participation in our democratic 
process.
  According to the Pew Research Center, voter turnout in the United 
States regularly lags behind other developed countries, many of which 
hold elections on one or more days during the weekend. According to 
U.S. Census data, the most consistent reason Americans give for not 
voting is that they are too busy to get away from their daily lives to 
make it to the polls.
  The Weekend Voting Act would give Americans the ability to vote 
during times that make better sense for them. Rather than on a Tuesday, 
polls would stay open during the first Saturday and Sunday after the 
first Friday in November of an election year. States would retain full 
autonomy to continue to offer alternatives to Election Day voting, such 
as early voting or voting by mail, and States are encouraged to give 
special consideration to accommodate weekend religious practices.
  Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to support the Weekend Voting Act 
so that more Americans can take part in our democratic process by 
voting at times that work for them.

                          ____________________