Why is Election Day on a Tuesday in November?

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) – November 5, 2024 Americans will cast their votes, but why does Election Day always fall on the first Tuesday in November?

According to The New York Times, throughout the United States, Election Day did not always fall on a specific date Encyclopedia Brittanica.

It wasn’t until 1845, when Congress passed the act establishing a single national election day, initially covering only presidential elections and later expanding to include congressional races.

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Why November?

Congress chose November for the election because it fell after the busy harvest season and generally avoided the harshest winter weather, making it a practical time to travel for rural residents.

Why Tuesday?

Tuesday was chosen to avoid conflicts with religious practices, especially Sunday services, and to avoid market days held on Wednesdays in many rural communes, according to Congressional Research Service.

This schedule allowed farmers to travel to polling stations – often several hours away – without disrupting their weekly activities.

Election day is also set for “Tuesday after the first Monday” in November so as not to coincide with November 1, which some Christians consider All Saints’ Day. This allowed voters to avoid the busy period when companies settle their accounts at the beginning of the month, which made voting less favorable

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When was the first election day?

This first uniform election day took place on November 7, 1848.

The first federal elections were held between November 24, 1788 and June 22, 1789, and it is estimated that elections to the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate took place then. Congressional Research Service.

Initially, senators were elected by state legislatures, and presidential electors were chosen in different ways from state to state. In 1845, the 28th Congress set a uniform deadline for the states to nominate presidential electors, which led to the establishment of a single election day.

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