Weekend Election Day suggested

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- A group of pollsters and voting analysts says having U.S. elections during the weekend instead of Tuesdays would increase voter turnout.

The suggestion comes at a time when figures show United States ranks last among 36 advanced democracies in voter turnout. Many of the countries ahead of the United States in turnout, including France, Switzerland, Germany, Finland and Sweden, have elections on Sundays, reports The Chicago Tribune.

"If we're going to be the world's leader in democracy, we've got to make it easier for our citizens to vote," said Andrew Young, former U.N. ambassador and honorary chairman of a group called Why Tuesday?

The Tuesday Election Day was set by Congress in 1845 because at the time, Tuesday was most convenient for eligible voters, who were mostly white male landowners. They traveled to court in their county seats if they had business to conduct and thus could vote at the same time.

But circumstances have changed since then, making Tuesday difficult for today's working people.

The Why Tuesday? group plans broadcast and print advertisements in the coming months "to start a national dialogue" and to try to convince Congress that Americans want election reform.