Democracy Day (United States)

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Democracy Day is the tentative name of a proposed federal holiday in the United States. It would become such a holiday if legislation in the House of Representatives and Senate become law. Resolution (H.R.) 63, entitled Democracy Day Act of 2005, was proposed by Rep. John Conyers. This bill caled for the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of every even numbered year, Election Day, would become a legal public holiday. The purpose of this holiday would be to increase voter turnout by giving citizens more time to vote, as well as allowing for the opening of more polling stations with more workers, while raising awareness of the importance of voting and civic participation. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Government Reform in January 2005. As of January 2007, the bill has 110 co-sponsors. Since this bill was proposed under the previous congress, new legislation needs to be re-proposed under the current congress in order for this bill to become law.

A companion resolution was introduced in the United States Senate on May 26, 2005 by Senator Debbie Stabenow. It was co-sponsored by Senator Mary Landrieu and Senator Carl Levin. The resolution has since been held without action in the United States Senate Committee on The Judiciary. The compainion bill would also need to be re-proposed in the current congress in order to be reconsidered by the senate.

Asking your representatives and senators to repropose H.R. 63 and the compainion bill from the senate of the previous session could help to make Democracy Day a reality for the 2008 Presidential Elections