SENATE BILL: ELECTION DAYLIGHT SAVINGS ACT OF 2019 (Passed)

[ON Progressive]

There is an issue in Atlasian elections where daylight savings time affects the times that elections are conducted in spring and summer elections.

This Bill is made to fix this inconsistency by making all elections midnight Friday-midnight Monday, regardless of the time of year the election is held.

[ON Progressive]

I don't see how it's really a standard when elections end at midnight Eastern sometimes and 1 AM eastern other times, personally.

It's not as if you see real life states and countries shift poll openings on election day an hour early and close them an hour late for summer elections, so I don't see why Atlasia should do the same.

[ON Progressive]

I would like to note that the last time this caused a vote in a federal election to be invalid was October 2017. This would be an inconsistency in that it uses two different time zones for elections depending on the time of year. This is especially problematic for those living outside of the eastern time zone, who currently just have to figure or google the time in EST all year around, but now would have to know to convert to EDT. We don't all live in the eastern time zone after all.

All elections would be held at the same time under the rules of this bill: Midnight Eastern on Friday to Midnight Eastern on Monday, regardless of the time of year. That seems consistent to me. In fact, it's more consistent than the current rule which makes elections go midnight ET-midnight ET sometimes and 1 AM ET-1 AM ET other times.

Also, any google search of "Eastern Time" during daylight savings months would default to EDT anyhow, so I don't see how it makes googling anymore difficult. Not to mention that pretty much anyone who votes late is probably going to know the exact time it closes anyhow, given how many are just simply strategic voters coordinated by the parties.

[ON Progressive]

Aye