Yesterday the Knesset made it final and passed the law in its final readings. The day of municipal elections is now officially a full vacation day, just like it is on national elections day!
While MK Maklev (UTJ) opposed the bill claiming the cost to the economy will be too great, while at the same time claiming this law wont help and voter turnout will continue to shrink as people will use the day to run errands and entertain themselves instead of voting... Minister of Interior Gideon Saar responded that while this law alone won't turn things around and solve the problem, this law still puts the municipal elections in its proper place of importance, and people should be given the best conditions possible to encourage them to go vote.
Too bad elections are only once every five years...
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I think MK Maklev does make a good point - it is very important to the economy that people get out and work, and failure to do so, even for a day, undoubtedly places a strain on the economy.
ReplyDeleteAnd goodness knows, there's more than enough time in the week for the average working person to take care of his or her errands, with ample time left over to entertain oneself (as if the elections didn't provide enough entertainment!)
Nonetheless, I think this law is a good thing.
Does anyone know what it means when one city has elections and one city does not? IMO, this law is BS and won't significantly matter, except to force companies to lose money and pay for this law, and also the soldiers who will be caught in the middle.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be much cheaper if 'absentee' ballotting was offered instead, like two or more optional times to vote.
This is terrible. Even the national elections also should not be a holiday! Anyone who wants to can vote, even if he or she is working. Absolute waste of money.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I hate to be cynical, but Maklev has, I would guess, an ulterior motive: many in his constituency learn locally and a day off (which they won't necessarily use anyway anymore than they do now - those who needed to help out took off from yeshiva anyway) doesn't enable them to vote more. Whereas all other parties MIGHT gain from this, since it will make it marginally easier to get out and vote.