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Election Day Holiday Legislation in the 109th Congress

Published: January 26, 2009
Bill No. Short Title Sponsors Date Introduced Related Bills Description
S. 17 Voting Opportunity and Technology Enhancement Rights Act of 2005 Dodd January 24, 2005   Among other things, this bill would require the EAC to study the feasibility of making Election Day a federal holiday.
S. 144 Weekend Voting Act Kohl January 24, 2005   This bill would reschedule Congressional Election Days to the first Saturday and Sunday after the first Friday in November in every even numbered year and Presidential Election Day to the first Saturday and Sunday after the first Friday in November in every fourth year succeeding every Presidential election.  For Presidential and Congressional general elections, polling place hours would be Saturday 6:00pm EST to Sunday 6:00pm EST.  A polling place may close 12:00am (midnight) and 5:00am local time.
S. 450 Count Every Vote Act of 2005 Clinton February 17, 2005 H.R. 939 This is an omnibus election reform bill that seeks to address a number of election administration problems that arose in the 2004 federal elections.  Among other things, this bill would make Election Day a federal holiday.
H.R. 533 Voting Opportunity and Technology Enhancement Rights Act of 2005 Conyers February 2, 2005   The provisions of this election reform bill are very similar to those in S. 17 and would address many election administration problems in the same way.  
H.R. 939 Count Every Vote Act of 2005 Jones February 17, 2005 S. 450 This omnibus election reform bill seeks to address a number of election administration problems that arose in the 2004 federal elections.  The provisions of this bill are similar to those in S. 450.
H.R. 3557 Voter Outreach and Turnout Expansion Act of 2005 Hastings July 28, 2005   Among other things, this bill would make Election Day a federal public holiday. Voting Leave:  This bill would require employers to allow employees to take up to 2 hours leave in order to vote on any workday on which a federal election is held. This leave may be paid or unpaid unrelated to any employment benefit.
H.R. 6200 Paper Ballot Act of 2006 Kucinich September 27, 2006   Among other things, this bill would make every Presidential Election Day observed as “Washington’s Birthday.”