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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Low voter turnout on election day is a widespread |
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problem across the United States, as Americans attempt to juggle |
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their work and family responsibilities with a visit to their local |
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poll; and |
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WHEREAS, Since 1960, national voter turnout in presidential |
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elections has ranged between 49 and 63 percent of eligible voters, |
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while turnout for midterm elections has not amounted to even half of |
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eligible voters, fluctuating between 33 and 45 percent over the |
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last 30 years; and |
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WHEREAS, Compared with that of other countries, our numbers |
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are abysmally low; turnout is regularly 70 to 75 percent in Canada |
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and is well over 80 percent in established democracies around the |
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globe, from Australia to Belgium; and |
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WHEREAS, The causes for this low turnout are complicated, but |
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in surveys of American adults by the U.S. Census Bureau, family and |
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work obligations are frequently cited as a reason for not voting; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Businesses across the country are responding to this |
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challenge through the "Take Back Tuesday" initiative and are |
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closing on election day; on this issue, private enterprise, the |
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engine of America, is leading by example and government should |
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follow suit; and |
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WHEREAS, Voting is the cornerstone of a democracy, and |
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government must act to ensure that all Americans have the |
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opportunity to accept the responsibilities of citizenship and to |
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actively and regularly participate in the electoral process; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to |
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designate the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November in |
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2014 and each even-numbered year thereafter as a legal public |
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holiday described in 5 U.S.C. Section 6103; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of |
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Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the |
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members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that |
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this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |