Why is the US election on a Tuesday in November? What to know, in 500 words

EXPLAINER

Americans are heading to the polls connected November 5 arsenic portion of an Election Day contented dating backmost to the mid-1800s.

Across Latin America, it usually falls connected a Sunday. In India, it tin span weeks fixed the country’s immense territory. And successful the Middle East, Saturday is often the pivotal day.

But successful the United States, each 4 years, votes for president are formed connected the archetypal Tuesday aft the archetypal Monday successful the period of November.

That’s right, we’re talking astir Election Day.

And this twelvemonth is nary different: Millions of Americans volition caput to the polls connected November 5 to ballot for either Democratic President Joe Biden oregon his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump.

Yet, contempt the country’s agelong past of holding statesmanlike contests successful aboriginal November, what is little wide known is wherefore oregon however that contented got started.

According to historians, it is each tied to American farmers. Yes, really.

But earlier we get into that, you archetypal request to cognize what strategy was successful spot earlier US statesmanlike elections were held connected a azygous day nationwide.

Up until the mid-1800s, predetermination dates varied by US state, truthful agelong arsenic they were scheduled successful the weeks earlier the Electoral College met successful December.

In 1844, for example, the statesmanlike predetermination was held implicit a one-month play betwixt aboriginal November and aboriginal December.

Some critics said the strategy was inefficient and disquieted that holding votes connected antithetic dates could besides power the results, according to History.com.

If Americans saw that a statesmanlike hopeful did good successful an early-voting area, for example, that could pb to a amended effect for the campaigner successful different parts of the state that voted later.

So successful 1845, the US Congress passed an enactment (PDF) to found a azygous day to elite the president and vice president successful each the states of the Union.

That date, the enactment states, should beryllium “on the Tuesday adjacent aft the archetypal Monday successful the period of November”.

But wherefore a Tuesday, and wherefore successful November? Here’s wherever the farmers travel in.

At the time, galore Americans successful the fledgling state — past little than 100 years aged — were progressive successful agriculture.

Simply put, November was chosen due to the fact that it did not coincide with the engaged outpouring planting play oregon the autumn harvest, and it came earlier acold wintertime temperatures acceptable in.

Many of these aboriginal American farmers besides lived successful agrarian areas acold from larger colonisation centres wherever ballots were typically cast. This meant that it could instrumentality a time of question to scope their polling place.

The time of the week for the predetermination was besides chosen by a process of elimination. Sunday was retired of the question due to the fact that this is erstwhile Christians be church.

And Wednesday was typically “market day”, erstwhile farmers sold nutrient and different goods.

For those aforesaid reasons, Sunday and Wednesday could not beryllium considered for question days either — truthful the thought of holding the predetermination connected Monday oregon Thursday was nixed too.

Therefore, Tuesday was the champion choice.

So determination you person it. “The Tuesday adjacent aft the archetypal Monday successful the period of November”, explained.