The Reason U.S. Elections Are Held on a Tuesday: Historical Roots and Modern Discussions

November 7, 2024 (Investorideas.com Newswire) For many decades, the US federal elections have taken place on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. It all started in the 1840s and has remained the same for more than 170 years. Even in 2024, millions of US voters are heading to the polls on 5th November to vote for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris or her Republican rival, Donald Trump. Despite the long-standing history of holding US presidential elections, there is still a lack of awareness among US citizens about how the tradition got started.

Here, we will explore the origins of the US presidential Tuesday elections, why the day was chosen, and how it is being viewed today.

The History Behind Tuesday Elections

Originally, the US election days were held on different days, depending on the state, but a new law was passed in 1845, which set a single day for elections for the entire country. Before this standardized method, every US state had the power to decide their election days within a window of 34 days, which led up to the first Wednesday of December. Every state followed this decentralized method which meant that voting occurred on more than one day, depending on the local conditions and preferences. There are many reasons why this approach was later changed.

The early 1840s saw limited transportation and communication, which led to many concerns, hindering the voting days and skewing opinions and outcomes of the elections. The introduction of improved road systems, railroads, and telegraphs only heightened these issues, which ultimately prompted the need for a single election day.

Why November? Agricultural and Cultural Considerations

A single election day in the US was chosen on the first Tuesday in November. The US, at the time, was largely agricultural. A majority of the labor force was made up of the farmers and the year was mostly taken up by farming-related activities such as planting, tending, or harvesting of crops. This made early November an excellent time for voting since the harvest was over and the weather was relatively mild. The temperate weather made sure that the extreme temperatures of summer and winter were avoided.

Even during the week, some days were better than others.  Two particular days were certainly out of the equation. Since most US citizens were Christians, Sunday was set aside as the day of worship and rest. In many places, Wednesday was considered to be the market day when crops were sold by farmers in town. Added to that, it was dedicated to traveling.

In rural regions, the closest polling stations were several miles away. We are talking about an era when automobiles were still lacking, and getting to the polling booth took a while. So, Wednesday and Sunday were out of the question, which meant Monday and Thursday were used for traveling. This meant that elections could not be on Monday and Thursday. So, Tuesday was the natural best option perceived.

Now, the reason behind choosing Tuesday after the first Monday was mainly to avoid election day falling on 1st November. Christians observe the day as All Saint's Day, while merchants generally take the first day to settle the previous month's books.

The Challenges of a Weekday Election

Choosing Tuesday as the US election day was only a matter of convenience. Even though, in recent years, Tuesday elections have become more of a hindrance, facing increasing opposition and scrutiny. Very few people are now employed in the agricultural field, amounting to less than 2%, and most of them are employed elsewhere on Tuesdays.

Holding US elections on a weekday has become a great challenge, especially for the young, working Americans who are struggling to make time to cast their vote with their work commitments. The vote turnout rate has, therefore, declined over time in the US, and many are proposing to move the elections to the weekend.

Many others have suggested making the election day a federal holiday, even if it falls on a Tuesday. While these efforts have not yet been successful, there is an ongoing quest to make possibilities for early voting or voting by mail.

Growing Debate Over Tuesday Voting

In the US, more than 45 million of the population are between the ages group 18 to 19 years. This makes the largest voting bloc who are either at work all day or in school. Many of the young voters are also prevented by other obligations which made it clear to move the US election day to the weekend.

To make voting more convenient, discussions sparked during campaigns and online petitions on various social media platforms. They particularly advocated for a shift in the US election date to improve participation and accessibility.

Since then there has been a significant rise of online petitions and campaigns along with proposals for change. Some of the suggested alternatives that modern voters have come up with include weekend voting, making election day a national holiday, and expanding early voting and mail-in options.

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How Other Countries Handle Election Days

Various countries handle their election days differently. While some have followed the same voting system for years, others have improved their methods to increase voter turnout.

• In Estonia, voters can cast their votes over the Internet, which provides greater levels of security.
• People from Switzerland place their votes by mail as early voting. This is done a few weeks ahead of election day. Swedish voters are registered automatically by the government to vote.
• Countries like India have made election day a national holiday.
• Most countries hold the elections on the weekend, usually on a Sunday, with exceptions like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. This is done to maximize voter turnouts.

Is Change on the Horizon for US Elections?

As discussed before, there have been various legislative attempts and proposals to shift the US Election Day to a weekend or make the day a holiday. Young voters are struggling to make time from their busy work commitments and cast their votes. There is a general sentiment among voters to change the election day or the method in which votes are placed.

There are suggestions related to mail-in votes, absentee, and early voting, but things are yet to be implemented. These suggestions could increase voter turnout and democracy within the country. To keep up the 150-year tradition of election day, it is conducted on Tuesday, especially in the United States.

Conclusion

Election day in the US was specified as the Tuesday after the first Monday. This tradition has been followed over the years until now, when people are debating about changing it to better fit modern society.

What started as a matter of convenience is now evolving to accommodate a changing society and to promote a more inclusive democracy. To stop the voter turnout from falling, people have proposed that the elections be moved to the weekend.

Many others have suggested keeping the election day on Tuesday but making it a federal holiday. Although the efforts have not yet been successful, the increased probability of voting by mail or voting early has made election day less central to the overall voting experience.

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