WATCH>> Congressman Rallies Support Online To Update Voting Laws

This post is published on Why Tuesday? as well as OffTheBus.

U.S. Representative Steve Israel (D-NY) and I sat down yesterday in Washington, D.C., and he soon thereafter became the first member of Congress to report as a Why Tuesday? correspondent! Watch the video for our chat, and his report.

Rep. Israel recently introduced the Weekend Voting Act into the House in an attempt to move election day from "the Tuesday after the first Monday in November," as it has been since 1845, to Saturday and Sunday. "When I came to Washington, I thought there was a good reason to vote on Tuesday. There's not," says Israel. He's not at all certain the Act will pass. "The only way we're going to be successful is if the American people organize and mobilize behind this.... a senator and a congressman working on this, believe it or not, is not enough." After our talk, he took our Flip camera around Capitol Hill to ask citizens and a fellow Congressman the question we're always asking around here: Why do we vote on Tuesday?

Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI) introduced the same bill into the Senate earlier this year.

You can join Rep. Israel and become a Why Tuesday? correspondent by clicking here.

Why Tuesday? is an effort to make America's democracy stronger through increased voter participation; we work to make election reform an issue that our politicians cannot afford to avoid. Read more campaign coverage from OffTheBus by clicking here.

Follow Jacob Soboroff on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jacobsoboroff

Comments

[fcsakes]

I like the idea to make it a national holiday. And then have a voting place in every single neighborhood.

[fiberoptimist]

Just make Election Day a national holiday.

[PATina]

Hmmmm... would you please explaing why voting on Tuesday is a problem???

[BatedBreath]

Hint, hint...Because some people can't leave work during the hours the polls are open.

[alguien]

except that employers are legally bound to allow their employees to take time off for voting.

[fact finder]

Why not . What would it hurt to have not only one more day but to have it on the week end. Just think you can work for the man on Tuesday and vote on the day of rest or the Lords day.