I found it weird ever since I joined PG that the game awards players by 24 hours instead of daily. I propose that one should be able to collect voodoo once a day according to players time zone. This would mean a player who get daily voodoo at 6 pm EST would be able to get another one at 12:01 AM EST. This would be a more modern way and would encourage players to be active at least once daily.

Um : I dont see what the issue is here : You get one present when you first log-in : the next can be claimed 12 hrs later, then the next 12hrs after that, ad infinitum : so, the problem is nothing to do with the game but with when you log-in to collect it.
The game thus encourages and rewards you being active and online twice daily.
Like-wise, the daily present swap is governed by when you choose to log-in and send it, thereafter the next one will fall due after 24 hours, and so on.
Receiving the daily present swap is again, governed by when your partner sends it and if you are online to receive it immediately, if not, when you next log-in. the game has nothing to do with the timing of that.
The wife present works the same way, the game doesnt govern when you get it, you do : claim it and ( if your wife is happy and loved) the next will fall due 24 hrs later : if you fail to keep your wife 100% loved and cloud-bound, it will be longer than 24hrs, but thats due to your inaction, not the game.
So, if you prefer to send/receive presents at a particular time, you can, just do it then and 12/24hrs later (whichever applies), you can repeat the exercise at your chosen time.

I believe, Captain, that it is a guard against being able to accumulate gifts when not logging in regularly. This is not Farmville, after all.

What I meant was that one gift would be available from a period of 12:01 am to 11:59 pm

The way you suggest means that if a player logs at 11:59 he/she would get a present and another one two minutes later, the way it already is that player would get only one, and for the next one he/she'd need to login again or to stay online.
Seems that the actual way means to be online more, which is the purpose of the gifts after all.