Absolutely. If we can have Columbus Day as a federal holiday, there's absolutely no reason why something as fundamental as voting shouldn't also be a federal ho

Absolutely. If we can have Columbus Day as a federal holiday, there's absolutely no reason why something as fundamental as voting shouldn't also be a federal holiday. But the act that practically defines the difference in power that citizens have between the US and Great Britain when we fought free of them is an act that is made inconvenient at best and close to impossible at worst for people with certain types of jobs, obligations, mobility issues etc. On paper it seems okay: polls generally open early enough or close late enough that a person can vote before or after work. Except that is so often the requirement for people that polls in some places are backed up for hours during those times, making the choice between losing money if you're an hourly worker to take extra time to vote or have to skip all together if you have a family to care for and can't wait hours to vote. Voting should be made as easy as possible. It will always take an extra detour from your daily routine but it should never require a trade off between losing money or caring for your family or any other disincentive.