South Carolina and Kentucky Ban Booze on Election Day
An election is the ultimate celebration of democracy. However if you live in South Carolina or Kentucky, booze probably isn't going to be part of your November 6 revelry.
That's because the sale of alcohol is banned in these states on Election Day. Some are questioning the logic of the restriction.
"The Election Day sales ban is a relic of the Prohibition era when saloons sometimes served as polling stations," argues Distilled Spirits Council of the United States VP Ben Jenkins. "Repealing the ban on Election Day alcohol sales would provide consumers with much-needed convenience — whether they're celebrating election returns or mourning them."
Jenkins added that states such as Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Utah and West Virginia have lifted similar election day blue laws.
In South Carolina, violators of the ban face a $200 fine and up to sixty days in jail. Get convicted three times and you'll face up to two years in prison.
Since there's no way of knowing yet how much grief citizens of Kentucky and South Carolina will be feeling on election night, it's hard to know exactly how much sympathy to extend them. At the very least, be sure to raise a glass in their honor on Tuesday night!