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Even if you made it a federal holiday, the wage slaves would still have to work.
At least make it a sunday lol, a tuesday wtf?!!
It's on Tuesday because that was actually convenient with the flow of business at the time. Most were Christian and wouldn't work or travel on Sunday if possible, it often took a day's travel to get to the nearest town with a polling place, and Wednesday was market day.
If Sunday and Wednesday are right out and you need a day's travel time (which also can't be Sunday or Wednesday) you're basically left with Tuesday or Friday. And if you're going to be in town for the market anyways then Tuesday makes more sense.
It is in November because that's after the biggest harvests, but not so far after that the weather is likely to be rough. And it's the Tuesday after the first Monday so that it can't overlap with All Saints Day.
On the upside it could be changed with a regular old law, it doesn't require an amendment or anything.
Some countries let you vote for 2-3 weeks, others it's a sunday. Tusday was maybe the best a thousand years ago but who cares? Thanks for the interesting history lesson though!
Tusday was maybe the best a thousand years ago but who cares?
Closer to two hundred years ago, since the law in question was passed in 1854. But the point was it's that way for a reason, and that reason was a good reason at the time it was done. It seems so weird now because of social change that has since made it inconvenient.
It can also be changed if Congress wanted to, as it's just a regular law and not part of the Constitution or something else that would be harder to change.
how are federal holidays not mandatory time off dude there's a reason they exist. what a backwards country.
edit: apparently the concept is so foreign that people don't understand how these things work. of course there will be exceptions but of you work on a holiday you get a full day's salary as overtime. this usually assures employers only force work when necessary because most would rather not pay extra. and of course further exceptions can be made into the law. no one said life should stop when there's a holiday.
Black and white rules always end up fucking someone over. For example I work in the entertainment industry and a lot of my income is from working on holidays, specifically because they are holidays. That aspect of my job is not exploitative, and if the option were taken away I would have big problems.
I work in a hospital. Unfortunately, people don't stop being sick on holidays, so someone has to work. I don't see how it could be different in any other country.
Yep. Your boss can still say no and just give you a day in lieu
Good point, the real solution is to spread out the election and make voting easier, as in mail-in.