WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is showing support for making election days a holiday in an effort to increase turnout.
In an interview with Rutgers University’s student newspaper published Thursday, Obama was asked by The Daily Targum Editor-in-Chief Dan Corey if it was time for the U.S. to follow in the footsteps of other countries that make election day a national holiday and allow weekend voting.
“Absolutely. We are the only advanced democracy that makes it deliberately difficult for people to vote,” Obama told Corey.
The President floated ideas that would make the electoral process easier for U.S. voters.
“I think that we know some states like Oregon are doing a much better job at extending mail-in voting, increasing tools like online voting that are safe and secure, give people flexibility over a long period of time, and early voting,” Obama said.
The President is not the only politician considering the idea. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has called for a bill to make Election Day a national holiday.
