Election Days in the U.S. Are Always on a Tuesday for a Pretty Arcane Reason

The 2024 election has been unusual in a huge variety of ways, but one thing we have known the whole time is when the election would be held. Election Day is always the first Tuesday in November unless Nov. 1 is a Tuesday, in which case, it's on Nov. 8.

You may have noticed over the course of your civic life that holding elections on a Tuesday is hugely inconvenient. Most people work and have to take extra time out of their day to vote. This fairly naturally leads to an obvious question, one that we'll dive into below.

Election Day originally varied by state, but in 1845, a law was passed to set a single election day for the entire country. The law initially applied only to presidential elections but eventually became the standard for all kinds of elections.

When the law was passed, the United States was a largely agrarian society. Most people were farmers, which meant that their years were taken up with planting, harvesting, and tending crops.

Early November made the most sense because the weather was still relatively mild, but the harvest season was over. The choice was then about which day made the most sense. Sunday was off limits, as many people were in church, and Wednesdays were often a market day when farmers took their crops into town and sold them.

In 1845, a travel day was often required to vote, as the nearest polling place might be several miles away in an era before cars.

Because Sunday and Wednesday were off-limits both as travel days and the day to vote, that meant that Monday and Thursday were off-limits for Election Day itself. Tuesday was therefore seen as the best option. The reason Nov. 1 is avoided is that, at the time, some Christians celebrated All Saints' Day on that day, and because many farmers used the first of the month to settle their books from the previous month.

Although Tuesday was initially chosen because it was the best option, it's almost universally believed to be a terrible one today. If voting occurred on a weekend day, it might boost people's ability to participate.

Of course, Election Day now matters less than it once did, as many states use mail-in ballots or early voting to give people ample opportunity to vote.

Even so, the fact that elections are held and the results are tabulated on a Tuesday doesn't really make much sense anymore. Given that we are no longer a nation of farmers, and don't seem likely to be one again in the near future, it seems like moving Election Day might be an easy change that could significantly boost participation. Of course, voter turnout won't be solved by just one change, but it's something that should be encouraged as much as possible. Not everybody gets to do it.