Monday, October 09, 2006

Good Ideas That Can’t Happen

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The SJ-R online is conducting an internet poll asking readers if they would like to see election day moved a Saturday. Personally, I think it would be a good idea but it’ll never happen.

Saturday offers the obvious advantage of having more people free all day to get to the polls. Busy work days have a way of suppressing the vote, I don’t doubt. Most people still wouldn’t vote if elections were held on Saturday’s but I bet more would vote than do on Tuesdays.

But here’s why it will never happen, at least not nationally. Today it is possible to fairly accurately calculate the effect such a move would have on the outcomes of elections. And one of the major political parties will gain at least some advantage, even if only a tiny one. As such, that party will block the idea from ever becoming reality. I have no idea to which party this idea would grant an advantage, but it’s very likely one or the other would benefit.

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