Chrysler Gives Workers Day Off to Vote: Should Election Day Be a National Holiday?

by mrosen814 Posted 2012/11/06 20:00:00

Related Topics: Car, Operation, President, Vote, Work, Election, Polls, 2012, President Obama, Vice President, Mitt Romney, Stress, Holiday, Moving, Poll, America, Workplace, Image

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	Yes	352 votes	64%
	No	198 votes	36%

Chrysler's vice president of design, Ralph Gilles, tweeted Tuesday that the company gave its entire work force the day off to vote. "Let's go!" he wrote.

Chrysler giving workers the day off to vote makes it very easy for people to get to the polls and reduce stress about having to be at work. Does your workplace give you the day off to vote? Should election day be a national holiday?

POLITICO.COM reports:
Chrysler gave its entire work force the day off to Vote Today! Let's go! #America — Ralph Gilles (@RalphGilles) November 6, 2012The car company that attacked Mitt Romney for falsely claiming it was moving operations overseas is going a step further, ostensibly for President Obama.

ostensibly president obama chryslers vice president design ralph gilles tweeted

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MR. 2012/11/06 22:42:07

Yes

+7
YES! Every 4 years,... "the day of the election", should be a,... "National Holiday!"
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More polls by mrosen814

kim 2013/01/26 01:21:19

No

It takes an hour at most out of your day.

reply
Lance Sparks 2012/12/18 16:55:56
Mike 2012/12/18 05:35:18

Yes

It might get more folks to the polls!

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michael.caleca.3 2012/11/23 07:21:29

Yes

ummm half of you have no idea why... the reason we got it off was because 1 of our shifts would not have gotten to vote... my shift is from 3pm to 5am.. so i go to bed by 6 630 in the morning.. the only way im able to get to the polls to vote is if i dont sleep (which is not safe at all)

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jamal.clayton.9 2012/11/09 01:39:51

Yes

I work for Chrysler and I'm upset that we didn't get this memo

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Rob Williams 2012/11/08 17:40:19

Yes

Providing people can demonstrate that they actually did use the time off to vote.

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bodaishinboy 2012/11/08 04:28:38

Yes

It would encourage higher voter turnout.

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Laura 2012/11/08 04:02:35

No

I`m afraid people would just use the day off as a HOLIDAY TO DO OTHER THINGS, BUT EMPLOYERS SHOULD ALLOW EMPLOYEES time off for voting.

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UR2PC4ME to Laura 2012/11/08 04:16:58
fudge35 2012/11/08 00:16:08

Yes

This Tuesday voting works against working people, especially when Republicans either end early voting, cut the days of early voting, and end weekend early voting for their voter suppression!!!!

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Opal Marie 2012/11/07 21:19:21

Yes

My younger sister's school district in Spring TX had the day off for election. That is all people are talking about on Presidential Election day, Why not make it a holiday, it only happens every 4years

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ALofRI 2012/11/07 21:06:30

Yes

That would make it more difficult to mess with the voting times for the benefit of a particular party....sound familiar??

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kyle 2012/11/07 20:56:57

No

Where does the federal government get the authority to create federal holidays? Will you please point me to the section in the Constitution which gives that power to the government?

Also, don't say the general welfare clause. James Madison (who is considered the father of the Constitution) said "If Congress can do whatever in their discretion can be done by money, and will promote the general welfare, the Government is no longer a limited one possessing enumerated powers, but an indefinite one subject to particular exceptions."

The enumerated powers are Article 1 Section 8.

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James 2012/11/07 19:25:55

Yes

And it should be a Monday or a Friday.

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Cubatista92 2012/11/07 18:03:31

No

it shouldn't be a national Holiday, but They should allow more time for people to vote. Not just one single day. I think the states that have early voting are more successful in handling their elections. It's easier for people to work it around their own schedule than to have to send a mail ballot or suffer the long lines that are natural to the last day.

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chgo 2012/11/07 17:57:13

Yes

But the conservatards wont like it.

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JoeBob Scruggs 2012/11/07 17:42:52

Yes

Make it a Wednesday. No long weekend. Get yer ass up and vote, and then volunteer at the polls.

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whowasphone 2012/11/07 17:38:58

Yes

absolutely

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lynn 2012/11/07 17:34:28

Yes

+1
Since most working Americans are payed only a fraction of what their work is actually worth, there should be more payed holidays, it's only fair. Election Day seems a good place to start. I would also suggest extending Christmas to at least a full week, and adding Halloween.

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TheFigh... to lynn 2012/11/07 20:05:28

+1
all of this. and a day before and after Thanksgiving. People need time to come together.

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Cal 2012/11/07 17:25:43

No

YES. A federal holiday.

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wtxwoman 2012/11/07 17:18:54

No

No, because it would give workers an unfair advantage, cost the employers if they paid for the day, cost the workers if it was an unpaid holiday, basically not fair all the way around.

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Derbyhat 2012/11/07 17:14:59

Yes

But not this one!

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Gloria 2012/11/07 16:54:38

No

Just get out their like a decent citizen to vote. I voted October 23 at the John Merlo Library in Chicago. We had early voting from October 22 until November 23. Including November 6 that is ten days of voting choices. There is no need for a holiday to vote.

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Sarah Alexander 2012/11/07 16:47:49 (edited)

No

It's not necessary; we can vote early, submit absentee ballots, and the polls are open all day. That said, I think that employers should be required to provide employees with enough time to vote on election day, the entire day doesn't have to be taken off, though.

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twhiting9275 2012/11/07 16:39:39

Yes

Just get out there and do it!
Of course, Chrysler and the auto companies wanted this, because their buddy Obama had his job @ stake.

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Sam 2012/11/07 16:38:24

Yes

it should be a national celebration almost as much as july 4th, the best way to remember what america is and the 2nd most patriotic thing you can do is to vote (the most patriotic is join the army)

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Peregrine 2012/11/07 16:33:02

No

It's not a damn holiday.

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SoD 2012/11/07 16:05:11

No

If you need a day off to vote, I don't want you to vote.

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TimothyBrianFoley 2012/11/07 16:01:45

Yes

everyone should get a day off to vote

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knoodelhed 2012/11/07 16:00:11 (edited)

Yes

In this "service economy" there are lots of voters who end up not voting because they have to be at work. And though absentee balloting by mail is widely available, it's not a perfect option because not everyone receives their mail at a secure location. Early voting helps but needs to be better publicized or made more widely available.

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swp 2012/11/07 15:33:14

No

+1
Up here in Canada employers are required to give you reasonable time off to vote, but it isn't a holiday. Isn't it the same down there?

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Mike Smith to swp 2012/11/07 15:44:17

+1
Yes. We also have early voting and absentee ballots available.

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activ1 2012/11/07 15:31:58

Yes

+3
The idea of voting only on Tuesdays is absurd. People have lots of reasons why they may not be able to vote on a particular Tuesday, such as an unexpected illness, or a family emergency. What they really should do is have elections on the weekend, or better yet, have it over a period of at least 3 days, which would include at least one weekend day.

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SoD to activ1 2012/11/07 16:07:13

It's already too easy for people to vote.

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activ1 to SoD 2012/11/07 16:11:05

Oh God, not this crap again! There hasn't been any evidence of any massive voter fraud, and what little there has been has been seen from both sides. Get over it and move on.

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SoD to activ1 2012/11/07 19:28:38
activ1 to SoD 2012/11/07 20:30:44
SoD to activ1 2012/11/07 21:09:47

" The right to vote is guaranteed to every citizen by our Constitution, not just the ones you like."

I don't like all property owners. I just don't think people who don't have any skin in the game ought to have a say in how the game is played.

"What about retired people who have worked hard all their lives, sold their homes, and down sized into rental units?

[...]

All of the brave young people serving our country in the Armed Forces who don't own property shouldn't be allowed to vote?"

There is always room for compromise in this regard. Retirees and veterans aren't the reason for my position. I simply don't want people who take and give nothing back influencing the nation's political direction. Voters on the dole have the ability to vote themselves money. That's not good.

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activ1 to SoD 2012/11/08 02:14:03

+1
Again, that's not what you said the first time. Now, you're walking it back. The overwhelming majority of American adults work and pay taxes. If we have 8% unemployment, then that means 92% work, and they ain't all, or even majority Conservatives either. This right wing idea that everybody who disagrees with them is lazy and doesn't work is a bunch of BS propaganda. Just because somebody might be down on their luck at any particular time doesn't mean that they should be deprived of the right to determine their future. All American citizens have "skin in the game".

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