Now you know…
The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every four years is always the date of the US Presidential Election, in what is a ritual that has been running since 1845, following a congressional decree.
But as that day approaches tomorrow, why did they choose such a withdrawn day in November as the ideal date for the election of their president.
The way it falls means that the earliest possible date for an election is November 2, while the latest it can possibly fall on is November 8.
The explanation, as given by the Federal Election Commission, is that at the time of the decision, most Americans were agrarian, with most citizens working as farmers who lived far away from polling stations.
By November harvest season would be over meaning many would not have to take a day off work to vote, but some people would have to travel a day to cast their vote. Therefore, congress wanted to allow two days for people which allowed them to travel to polling stations and then return home.
Wednesdays were ruled out due to the farmer’s markets taking place and the weekend was impractical due to church being held on a Sunday, therefore it was decided that Tuesday was the most convenient time of the week for people to cast their vote.
According to the Federal Election Commission, Monday was also ruled out for the following reason:
“Why the first Tuesday after the first Monday? Lawmakers wanted to prevent election day from falling on the first of November for two reasons. First, November 1st is All Saints Day, a Holy Day of Obligation for Roman Catholics. Second, most merchants were in the habit of doing their books from the preceding month on the 1st. Apparently, Congress was worried that the economic success or failure of the previous month might prove an undue influence on the vote!”
Pretty soon, we’ll know the result of the 2016 election…
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