Why do we vote on Tuesdays?
Americans have voted on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November in federal elections since 1845.
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Americans have voted on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November in federal elections since 1845. That’s when a law was passed by Congress to set a single election day for the entire country.
According to History.com, the reason Tuesday was chosen was because of convenience.
In the 19th century, most Americans were farmers and needed time to travel to the polls. Sundays were not an option because that’s when most people went to church.
Wednesdays were usually a market day where farmers went into town to sell their goods. Tuesday was chosen as the best option to give people time to travel to and from the polls.
Since farmers made up most of the workforce, early November was a good time to vote because the harvest was over, and the harsh winter weather hadn’t arrived yet.
Election Day was designated as the Tuesday after the first Monday in November to prevent it from falling on November 1 which some Christians observe as All Saints’ Day.
Primary elections for state positions are also usually held on Tuesdays. Fifteen states across the country will be participating in Super Tuesday on March 5. It is considered the biggest day of the year for this year's presidential primary campaign.
Today, voting on Tuesday is seen as an inconvenience with much of the population working on that day. Attempts to make Election Day a federal holiday have not been successful, but there are opportunities for people to vote early or by mail depending on the state.