By Vanessa Overbeck
By Vanessa Overbeck
On this Election Day, I joined my fellow citizens in the difficult task of performing my civic duty. Like many Americans, who must squeeze voting into their already busy schedules, I rose at 6 a.m. so that I could make it to the polls before going to my classes and my job. It was hard to remember that participating in the nation’s decision-making process is a pleasure and not a pain. And the privilege of voting is often diminished by the obstacles one must conquer in order to make it to the polls. In the midst of child rearing responsibilities, jobs, and the pursuit of higher educations, voters must find time to study the voting materials and make it to the polls on Nov. 2. But for many this proves an overwhelming task. However, how many more Americans would vote if they didn’t have to attend work or school? If the answer is even just one, then shouldn’t we consider making Election Day a federal holiday?
If Election Day was a holiday, then Americans would have at least one full day to educate themselves and vote responsibly. One of the major reasons why many voters 18 to 24 don’t make it to the polls is because they don’t have the time in between jobs and college classes to spend studying the election issues. But Nov. 2 could be made a national holiday, dedicated to the decision making process.
Besides, we celebrate July 4, our Independence Day, with barbeques, family, friends and fireworks. But on Election Day, which is the expression of our independence, we have to fight through fatigue and frustration in order to exercise our rights as American citizens. This should be a day of celebration, spent with family and friends, agonizing over the election updates and toasting successes with beer and hot dogs. We should revel in the democratic process and follow the election with the same passion that we do World Series events. After all, the presidential election is the greatest of all World Series and we should have a day to enjoy this awesome privilege that many parts of the world can only envy.
