Should Election Day Be Moved to the Weekend? (H.R. 5989)

What is H.R. 5989?

(Updated June 9, 2020)

This bill — the Louise Slaughter Weekend Voting Act — would turn Election Day into Election Weekend by moving the presidential and congressional midterm elections to the Saturday & Sunday after the first Friday in November. It would take effect for the next regularly scheduled general elections for federal office and specific polling place hours would be determined by states.

The bill is named after Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY), a longtime advocate of weekend voting who passed away in March 2018 after serving in Congress from 1987 until her death.

Argument in favor

Tuesday voting is outdated and makes it difficult for many Americans to find the time to go to the polls and vote — especially students, seniors, and low-income people.

Argument opposed

Switching Election Day to the weekend would confuse voters and introduce logistical problems, like finding election officials willing to work on the weekend.

Impact

American voters — especially those with weekday obligations; politicians who run for office; election judges; and elections officials.

Cost of H.R. 5989

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) introduced this bill to move Election Day from a Tuesday to the weekend and said:

“Countless other developed nations around the world currently hold elections on weekends. We have seen time and again, how low voter turnout results in disenfranchisement, frustration, and civic apathy. Weekend voting is a proven method that increases accessibility, engagement, and turnout. If work, school, or other responsibilities become a roadblock for citizens wishing to exercise their right to vote, then it is the government’s obligation to take steps to ease that burden. It can, and must, create a path to the voting booth for those Americans who live with such challenges. Weekend voting makes sense, and would only serve to create an unmitigated path to the voting booth that ultimately benefits our democracy.”

This legislation has the support of one cosponsor, Rep. Bradley Scott Schneider (D-IL).

Media:

• Sponsoring Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) Press Release
  
• The Hill