Another Magic Monday

I just got an email from a political candidate telling me to take the day off on election day to vote. This led me to ask the question (to myself), "Why the hell is that not a national holiday to begin with?" If it is that important for all people to take part in, why are so many confined to working on that day? I wouldn't have been surprised if someone told me Ben Franklin had thought of that idea. The same guy that wanted the turkey to be the national bird and symbol of the country. If you have no idea what I'm referring to there, read a fucking history book people!

But I did something I've said I do my best to avoid to discover the true origins of this oddly designated day - research.

Turns out, the day was chosen in 1845 by Congress to allow people to travel to their nearest voting location. It took about a day to get there, and because most people at that time were church-going folk they felt it was best to allow them to start hoofing it on Monday. Seems a bit outdated to me.

It would probably be an arduous task to change the day to Monday and declare it a holiday, what with all the hoops proposals have to jump through today just to get the chance at a vote. Doesn't it make sense though? Give the public a three day weekend and one less excuse as to why they didn't vote. A number of states have early voting anyway, so why keep this antiquated date that was designated by an agricultural society that rode the country side in wagons?