Ever wonder why elections are held on the first Tuesday of November? 

In 1845, Congress passed a Federal law designating the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November is Election Day. States were allowed to hold elections any time they pleased within a 34-day period before the first Wednesday in December. This system had several flaws, including the potential for early voting results to affect turnout and sway opinion in states that held late elections, and those same last minute voters could potentially decide the outcome of the entire election. Faced with these issues, Congress had created the current Election Day in the hope of streamlining the voting process. 

But why a Tuesday in November? In the 1800s, most citizens worked as farmers who lived far from their polling place. Since most people often traveled at least a day to vote, lawmakers decided to make a two day window for Election Day. Weekends were impractical since most people spent Sundays in church and Wednesdays was market day for the farmers. With all this in mind, Tuesday was selected as the first and most convenient day of the week to hold elections. Farm culture also tells and explains why Election Day always falls in November. Spring and early summer elections were thought to interfere with the planting season, and late summer and early fall elections overlapped with the harvest. That left the fall month of November after the harvest was complete, but before the arrival of harsh and cold winter weather as the best choice. 

Election Day is a civic holiday in several states including Delaware, Hawaii, New York, New Jersey, and the territories of Puerto Rico. Other proposals to boost voter turnout include having elections take place over several days or allowing voting to take place by mail or computers. Many have called for Election Day to become a federal holiday, so people can take time to vote without missing work. That’s how they made it fair to all to be able to get in the people’s votes but giving options of mail and computers and giving them a two day time period to be able to travel or put their votes in.