S.B. 479, An Act Designating Election Day as a State Holiday

As an organization that defends the right to vote and believes that enfranchisement is an incredibly important way for people to participate in our society, the ACLU-CT supports this bill, which would designate Election Day as a state holiday. Designating Election Day as a state holiday would improve voter turnout. If Connecticut recognized Election Day as a state holiday, thousands of state employees would have the day off of work. This would allow them more time to travel to their polling locations and vote. Private employers would also be more likely to give employees the day off if it was recognized as a state holiday, further increasing voter turnout. While this bill would be good for everyone, it would be particularly helpful for people who are vulnerable to disenfranchisement because of physical disabilities, lack of transportation, lack of childcare, unpredictable work schedules, or other limitations.