Just curious, why do Americans always talk about making it a holiday, wouldn't moving it to a sunday create similar effect, while being much simpler? This is how we do it here in Poland.
That would work too, but most customer serving businesses are open all weekend, so moving it to the weekend would mostly help people working 9-to-5 jobs, but not the young frequently moving people you are trying to target, who are also the ones working weekends and late nights. Whereas on federal holidays like Christmas, only gas stations and hospitals are open.
People working minimum wage jobs will still be working Election Day unless it’s very strictly enforced. Plenty of places are open on federal holidays; McDonald’s does not close on christmas.