BY MIKE CETERA
The mess of a special election to replace former House Speaker Dennis Hastert isn't getting any less messy -- for the voters or the candidates, or as it turns out, for the people who have to work the elections.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich, in setting the two election dates on Monday, made the surprising move of putting the special general election to fill Hastert's vacancy on a Saturday, March 8. The special primary will be held on the same day as the regular primary -- the traditional Tuesday election -- on Feb. 5. The Chicago Tribune reports the governor moved the special general election to a Saturday to help increase turnout. According to the Trib, election officials say "It'll also lead to greater costs for taxpayers because workers will be owed overtime pay."
Putting the extra cost aside -- and that's annoying, too -- will a Saturday election actually increase turnout?
U.S. Sen. Joe Biden, a Democratic presidential candidate from Delaware, says no. In an interview with blogger Jacob Soboroff, Biden says his state tried Saturday elections, and it failed.
Now, with regard to elections on Saturday or Tuesday, we tried them both in our state. Guess what? Higher turnout on Tuesdays. Higher turnout on Tuesdays. People on their day off, because we have so, I think, demeaned the electoral process by money in the process, they're not showing up. You have over 50 percent of the people not showing up. It's a little bit like, you know, when Memorial Day is held on a weekend versus it being held on a Tuesday.You know, so my view is I don't see any strong evidence that having election day on a weekend is going to increase turnout relative to Tuesday. That's not the reason why people aren't turning out, in my opinion.
See the full YouTube clip here.
Former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley, in an Op-Ed piece earlier this year in the Washington Post, makes the opposite argument, saying Tuesday elections are a relic of our horse-and-buggy past. Today, he argues, an election during the work week is keeping people from the polls.
While 94 percent of those surveyed in a joint poll in the fall of 2005 by the Tarrance Group and Lake, Snell, Perry, Mermin/Decision Research said that "voting is an important civic duty that everyone should do," more than a third of those who usually don't vote said that the reason is because they are "too busy/didn't have time/working."The antidote is to make voting easier. Election Day should be moved to Saturday and Sunday. If we give people two weekend days, turnout should increase. Weekend voting would not disrupt the school day. People could take their children to the polls, thereby inculcating the importance of voting. The same poll found that those who said they would be more likely to vote on a weekend are in the largest nonvoter groups -- African Americans, 18- to 34-year-olds, Hispanics, singles and working women.
Are people who make the "too busy" excuse going to be any less busy on Saturday? My guess is no. And what message is the governor sending here -- that the people in power acknowledge that Tuesday elections are a disincentive to vote? Isn't that kind of cynical?
Kudos for to the Gov for showing us courage and innovation. In a difficult situation, that Hastert put him in, we are being given a unique opportunity. The Saturday experiment is both bold and worthy.
I guess the question I would ask is why not? If turnout on Tuesday's is poor, why not try something different? Are we so cynical that every attempt to change a broken system is a failure before it's a failure?
I prefer the Oregon mail-it-in methodology...but until we get there, let's try a Saturday I say...
I agree with Plainfieldrob. Let's try something different. With how dismal voter turnout currently is any change is welcome.
WHICHEVER DAY THE ELECTION FALLS ON IS FINE. THIS IS OUR CIVIC DUTY TO BE A VOTING CITIZEN. WHY WOULD IT MATTER IF IT IS ON A WEEKEND OR WEEK DAY? NO MATTER WHICH DAY, BEING A RESPONSIBLE CITIZEN TAKES EFFORT AND DILIGENCE;WE NEED TO PICK OURSELVES UP, WALK AND/OR DRIVE TO OUR ASSIGNED PLACE AND VOTE!! LET'S TRY A NEW TACTIC WITH THESE LAZY VOTERS. HOPEFULLY A SATURDAY WILL BRING MORE OF A TURN OUT!!
It's about time all elections were held on weekends. We are replacing someone who rubber-stamped a $500B war and a $9T deficit. And now we are debating whether saving a little money on overtime is more important than providing the most accessible election process? Voter apathy and voting trends aside, providing the highest opportunity to vote is what is important.
If we really wanted to save money on elections, we should stop using public resources on Republican and Democratic primaries. These primaries provide tax-subsidized publicity for their candidates, they do little to promote competition from outside their parties and, as proven in the last gubernatorial election, they have no binding value.
I hope the polls open early... 6 am might be kind of late for getting another task added to a Saturday morning. No, I'm not being sarcastic!
I will vote for Kevin Burns on a Saturday.
I am up and ready to leave for work and if it's a voting day, I leave a little early and get there before it closes. I think it should just be left on Tuesday-people that want to vote will vote and make the time to do it.
Moving to Saturday just adds more to the confusion and will end up costing the tax payers more money that we don't have to give in the first place and that the counties just keep raising on us annually. I say leave it where it is.
The only choice is Jim Oberweis for the voters of the 14th District, unless you want Spanish as the first language. What the heck has the good Senator Lauzen done in 15 years that's worth re-electing him over? I say "move on" Senator, move on. Oh yeah, keep your temper in check too.
Jim Oberweis is the ONLY choice unless you like verbal abuse from the Lauzens, more gridlock, wasteful spending and a snobby attitude toward the working class.
Oberweis is a racist. In Europe, High School graduates know 5 languages. Here in the US we have a movement of people who literally want people to know one language. It's like learning addition but not multiplication. We are humans before we are citizens, and we all eat, breathe, sleep. Maybe instead of fighting against your fellow workers, you could unite Latino, white and Black and fight against the corporations that pit us against each other to see who'll work for the lowest wage.
John Laesch is the only candidate who is a veteran, and he supports and immediate end to the war. Bring our troops home now, and use all that money on health care and education for all.