A proposal to move the dates of November elections could help to increase voter turnout.
Legislation from U.S. Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI) would move Election Day from the first Tuesday in November to the first full weekend of the month. Andrea Kaminski with the League of Women Voters says it's worth considering, since it could improve access to the polls for many people.
She says the large number of people in Wisconsin who voted early before the 2008 election shows the convenience a more open schedule can have in helping more people make it to the polls.
The first Tuesday Election Day has been used since 1845. Kaminski says society has changed greatly since then, with a move away from an agrarian society and improvements in transportation.
Still, Kaminski says the proposal does raise some questions, such as how to make sure elections remain secure and accurate. There could also be problems finding enough people to staff polling places, something that's currently a problem with elections on just one day.
Despite those concerns, she says anything that makes voting more accessible should be given a closer look.
