Kirsten Dunst Explains Why Americans Vote On Tuesdays

So there we were, with Kirsten Dunst at last night's 303 Gallery party in Chelsea, jawing away about the things you normally talk about with a press-shy A-lister, when the actress abruptly changed the subject. "Actually, I'm gonna plug the documentary I'm directing," she announced. (So THAT'S why she agreed with talk to us. We tried not to look hurt.) "My friend Jacob Soboroff is executive director of this nonpartisan organization called WhyTuesday.org. It's a Website. So we're making a documentary together about why we vote on Tuesday."

It's all about America's agrarian roots, see? November is the end of harvest, Dunst explained, and the Tuesday vote allowed Sabbath-observing country folk enough time to horse-and-buggy it to the polling stations before Wednesday market. Worked all right back then, apparently. But today, "it's not a holiday, and we're one of the lowest democratic countries in voter turnout," Dunst explained. Lest her doc turns out to be dutifully evenhanded, we demanded to know Dunst's personal opinion on the matter: "I would keep it the same day, just make it a holiday." You heard it here first.

Comments

[MsMeryMac]

The nice thing about having a National Voting Holiday would be that (hopefully) we would condense all elections and ballot proposals to one day a year, rather than 2 or 3 days that we routinely have (at least in California, where there are ALWAYS more ballot proposals to vote on). I'm all for a national holiday on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November, every year.

[GeorgeKaplan]

Not much to argue about. Of course election day should be a holiday or move the presidential election vote to the weekend. In my state we always vote for Governor on a Saturday. Some people in our country work their asses off and should not be denied the right OR the ability to vote because they have to work to survive. If the sabbath (Saturday & Sunday) is still an issue I respect that and would opt for a holiday.

Next, lets work on a national primary day.

[Destin]

I am so glad to see someone from the young generation like Kirsten Dunst who knows alot about their country and history. Maybe there's help for us after all. And I agree with her, voting day should be a holiday. Paid even. Since democracy is the most important part of this country, that we should cherish our liberties like voting for our govt representatives.

Obama/Dunst '08!

[MsLiz]

When I worked for the state of Alabama, we were given an hour off to vote. We could take it anytime we could work it into our schedule. We did not lose pay. Folks don't need an entire day to vote. Corporations should establish this policy.

I take my children with me when I vote, to get them in the habit.

[dawlishgal]

Jesse Ventura won the election in MN partly by telling young workers that they could vote and then take the rest of the day off.

I'm not sure urging people to vote who know nothing about issues or candidates and are too lazy to find out anything is a good idea. There is such a thing as too much turnout of the dumb and the terminally gullible.

Look at the quality of the campaign commercials....especially the blather about McCain's heroism that conveniently omits his capitulation to the enemy. The commercials are aimed at those now (euphemistically_ called "low information" people. Seems to me that when the number of "low informationers" hits critical mass (enough to throw an election to the one with the most manipulative commercials) we can kiss our democracy goodbye. In fact, we probably have already done that by electing GWB TWICE.

[GeorgeKaplan]

Some folks do not need an entire day... I don't. Many do need a day off to vote... if we wait for corporations to give people time off to vote it will not happen. A holiday or voting on the weekend is the only workable solution... that is if we want a solution. Some in our country want to suppress voter turnout.

[jotunloki]

Many people live far from the place they work that they could not make it to and from their assigned polling place in an hour. Voting location is determined by residence, not employment.

[Destin]

I could go along with your suggestion and example of how things work in your state. Course, the bad thing is, is getting the private sector to go along with it. Maybe force a national day off during the national only elections, either every 2 years if doing congressional, or just every 4 years during the Presidential version. Then scale back to giving a paid hour time-off sometime during their workshift in which they can go vote in the municipal/county/statewide elections. Maybe that would be a better thing. But then, I used to work nightshift most of my life, lol, so invariably nightshift people will want an hour of free time too. Especially since they might have to get out of bed an hour earlier to vote on way to work, or take an hour out of their free time to do it before work. ;)

[Anastasia]

While a voting holiday seems like a good idea at first glance, the service industry; restaurant, travel, retail, et al, wouldn't be able to give all of their employees the day off, without taking a huge financial hit. And not allowing them to take the day off would amount to a voting rights issue.

In some countries, the polls are open all weekend, giving people ample time to make it the vote. It would also provide an alternate day that wouldn't conflict with the Jewish, Muslim and Christian sabbaths.

[kjdwyer]

She's absolutely right.

I'm an american living abroad and voting day is a holiday here. It's also MANDATORY that all citizens vote. If you don't, you're subject to a fine. You can fill out a blank ballot if you're so inclined, but you have to vote, nonetheless.

With those rules in place, there is a regular 95% turnout. There was dismay in a recent election where only 85% turned out and that was considered grounds for extreme worry.

I guaranty you that if such measures were taken in the U.S., we would have a very different government in place. There is a tremendous disconnect between polls taken of how U.S. citizens would vote on individual issues and the way they ultimately vote in general elections. A lot of that has to do with the 60% turnout during presidential elections and even lower turnouts at lower level elections. When I was living in NYC, I remember a local election where only 27% turned out to vote.

That is patently unacceptable in a functioning democracy.

[GeorgeKaplan]

I do not agree that mandating voting is a good idea. Sounds good...

[MsLiz]

What country are you in? Can I come, if Obama doesn't win?

[Bettysdad]

Maybe she's a product of American schools, and is doing the best she can.

[nastyvirus]

Betty's sneaking out again. Don't tell her I told you, she'll be sore.

[Bettysdad]

I honestly don't understand your point.

[AlieNation]

Good answer, good suggestion. No "dumb blond" here.

[Elis]

Why not hold the vote over two days, one of which is a weekend day? That way, people who have to work two or more jobs would have a better chance of making it to the polls.

[syrupcore]

nice. Vote by mail works pretty well here in Oregon. Vote whenever you want.

[MsLiz]

I remember discussion of this idea for Florida, but they realized the population of Florida is more transient.

[DarkStar]

An easier solution is to do what they did in Oregon. USE THE MAIL!
In CA, I've been a permanent absentee voter for years. It's much easier then getting to the polls after work. Plus, when I get those annoying phone calls two weeks before the elkection, I tell them I already voted and they hang up immediately.

[faust2001]

"Can't somebody else do it?"--Homer Simpson campaign slogan

[RG5626]

The beauty of voting on Tuesdays is that it's not a holiday or weekend. If we voted on Sunday as many other countries do, how many of us would be too busy traveling or running errends to vote? By voting on a work day and having the polls open for 13 to 14 hours, people can always find time to vote either going to or coming home from work or school.

[JohnCheney88]

If you're serious, you must live in a small district. Back in CA we would sometimes just barely get to vote by 7pm, after getting there at 5:30pm after work. To my knowledge, the polls close when the polls close, regardless of your work hours!

[alguien]

that is the correct answer, by the way.

[slr249]

If I remember correctly, election day is a holiday for some school children. I remember getting the day off, because the idea of strange people wandering around elementary schools was unsettling to people. If you're giving school children the day off, you really should give the parents the day off too, because who's going to watch the kids.

[Cathexis]

A lot of our old agrarian hold-backs really need to be re-evaluated (e.g., the Electoral College). I think she makes some great points.

Having the day off would definitely improve turn-out. Which is why I am certain the GOP will fight such an idea.

[onosideboard]

See also: Daylight Savings Time.

[MsMeryMac]

That was actually brought about after WWI.

[iskelton]

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you America's electorate! Bravo, people!