As the country divides itself on issues and candidates, a majority of Americans agree on one thing: Election Day should be a federal holiday.
A survey conducted by Hill.TV and the HarrisX polling company found that 54% of respondents agreed the day should be a holiday that everyone should get off work while 46% disagreed, saying they’d prefer things should remain how they are, according to a report by The Hill.
Democrats were the political party most in favor of the change, with 63% saying it should be a federal holiday, the news source reported. Independents were 50-50 on the matter and Republicans were the least keen on the idea, with 48% in support, The HiIll reported.
Though there are a number of things employers can do to make it easier for their employees to vote, making Election Day a holiday would make it so that voters inhibited by work schedules have a better chance of turning up at the polls.
Those against creating a new voting holiday point to the potential loss in revenue and say that doing so wouldn’t affect employees of industries open every day, such as hospitals, The Hill reports.
The poll findings come out amid a midterm election that has been predicted to have the highest turnout in half of a century.