And no, this post isn't a rally for one candidate or another. It's just an interesting voting day fact I heard about on the radio this morning and investigated when I got into work... after waiting 1 hour, 20 minutes to vote. (And listening to some others' stories, I think that might have been a quick vote!)
So on to the fact... Did you know there are 7 states in the U.S. that don't allow liquor sales on election day? (Maybe they're afraid of the inevitable reveling and sorrow drowning that will occur... of course, it's not like people can't just buy their alcohol ahead of time...)
Anyway, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS):
-- Kentucky, Indiana, and South Carolina have a statewide ban on sale of alcohol at restaurants, bars and package stores on Election Day.
-- Utah and West Virginia ban the sale of alcohol at package stores on Election Day.
-- Alaska and Massachusetts ban Election Day alcohol sales, though local governments can provide an exemption from the ban if they choose.
-- Delaware, Idaho, and Utah all relaxed their Election Day sales bans earlier this year. However, while Utah allows Election Day alcohol sales at restaurants and private clubs, it still bans package store sales on Election Day. (I'm not surprised that Idaho relaxed its laws. One web site said that the law prohibiting the sale of distilled spirits on election day costs the state of Idaho $400,000 each and every election day.)
The ban apparently has its roots in the 1930s when saloons sometimes served as polling stations.
-- Robin
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Some say that Edgar Allen Poe died of alchohol poisoning after being given liquor in exchange for his vote. I heard the story while celebrating an election in our local tavern...
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