November 07, 2007
What's So Special About Tuesday?
While much of the election reform discourse lately has focused on the front-loaded primary calendar, think ahead to next November. Many election watchers know that national elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, but why that day in particular?
A nonprofit election reform group called Why Tuesday has been asking just that question of presidential candidates through a series of Web videos released every Tuesday on their Web site. By simply asking the question of why Election Day is when it is, the group is getting people to talk about different possibilities, such as Election Day being a national holiday or general elections being held on a weekend.
Founded in 2005, the group boasts some high-profile supporters, such as former Sen. Jack Kemp (R) and Democratic consultant Joe Trippi. The common thread between them is support for revising the electoral system and increasing voter participation.
An integral part of the group's strategy for this election has been engaging candidates about election reform through their "candidate challenge." Executive Director Jacob Soboroff has been traveling to Iowa and beyond to ask candidates about their plans for reform, and has found that most are interested in the issue, although many don't know -- along with most of America -- that the reason we vote midweek in November is because of the 19th-century agrarian calendar, which begs the question of whether it's time to update our election timetable.
"This is something we should be talking about," Soboroff said. "Who's against voter participation?" According to Soboroff, only 15 states have “no excuse absentee voting,” where voters can request an absentee ballot for any reason. He also claims that other countries have higher voter participation rates because their elections are held at more convenient times. "Let's start a national dialogue about not just the way we vote, but the day we vote," he said.
So far, 11 of the 16 major candidates have responded to Soboroff's request for interviews. Video sessions with Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Edwards are expected to be completed soon. Only Fred Thompson has rebuffed an interview request directly, and Soboroff says Why Tuesday intends to contact his press office again. "While it may look like 'gotcha' and may be embarrassing, it's all in the spirit of an open and honest conversation," Soboroff said.
Why Tuesday has also been encouraging visitors to its Web site to become correspondents themselves. Videos that examine other voting-related issues are available, including one explaining the complicated Iowa caucus system using stick-figure animation. "It's comprehensive and gets everything out there from voting machines to how we vote," said Soboroff.
Posted at 5:25 PM
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