Alabama bill would make Election Day holiday for presidential, gubernatorial contests [Video]

HB 64, sponsored by Rep. Ontario Tillman, D-Bessemer, would apply to gubernatorial and presidential election contests, making Election Day a holiday every two years.

Tillman said in a phone interview that the goal would be increasing voter participation. Voters, he said, have faced long lines and conflicting job schedules trying to vote.

“It’s very difficult for some people to get there and they have to kind of do a number of things,” he said. “So my position is, why not just make it a holiday?”

Alabama has historically had low voter turnout, due to a long history of voter suppression, a lack of alternate voting options and an absence of competitive races. Just over 58% of the state’s registered voters cast ballotsin the Nov. 5 election, the lowest percentage for a presidential election …