Presidential elections, why is voting on a Tuesday?

ILLYRIAN

ILLYRIAN

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Does anyone know why the American elections are always made on the first Tuesday in a month but only if that Tuesday follows a Monday.

Why does it still remain that voting is done on a Tuesday given that some people find it impossible to vote.

Most states allow postal votes but some don't, what states don't.
 
In 1845, the United States was largely an agrarian society. Farmers often needed a full day to travel by horse-drawn vehicles to the county seat to vote. Tuesday was established as election day because it did not interfere with the Biblical Sabbath or with market day, which was on Wednesday in many towns.
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from Wikipedia


I think polls should be open for a full 24hrs to make it easier for everyone to vote.
 
It's not just on a Tuesday. Voting has been going on for weeks. There were people waiting in line for hours to vote this weekend. It's a misconception that you only vote on Tuesday.
 
ILLYRIAN
ILLYRIAN
so why do they say Tuesday is the voting day?
@ILLYRIAN "so why do they say Tuesday is the voting day?" Because Tuesday used to be the only voting day (except for the Electoral College of course), now it is simply the last day in which you can vote.
 
Well, Tuesday is the official Election Day. Some people are able to vote by mail and some are able to go to early voting polling places. Voting early isn't an option for everyone since there is a limited number of polling places that do early voting; the only early voting polling place near me reported wait times of up to 7hrs for people.
 
brinkster130 said:
Well, Tuesday is the official Election Day.
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I wouldn't call it "official" anymore; there are way too many early voters for it to be called the official day.

As a side note, did you know you can actually CHANGE your vote after you cast it! If you voted in October when early voting was first allowed and were unhappy with your vote, that it actually is legal that you can change it. I never knew that.
 
brinkster130
brinkster130
I didn't know you could change your vote.
Unless voting early is an option for everyone, which Brinkster has demonstrated it isn't, then I'd say Tuesday still remains the official Election Day.
 
This is the first year that my wife and I have voted early, and I must say, it's both more convenient and faster than waiting for Election Day, hunting a parking place, and standing in long lines. There are no last minute arguments (or proposed FBI disclosures) that would have effected my vote, so I dad no problems with voting before the candidates had their final say.
 
YummySushiPJs said:
Unless voting early is an option for everyone, which Brinkster has demonstrated it isn't, then I'd say Tuesday still remains the official Election Day.
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Close to 50 million people voted early. They are already estimating more than 40% of this election votes will be from early voting. I still say you cannot call this the "official" voting day any longer. It's just the day the votes are calculated. Historically every four years less and less people vote 'tradionally'
 
YummySushiPJs said:
So, not even half then.
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Nope. But when more than 40% of votes are cast before the "official" day to vote it sorta lessens the official qualifier, don't you think? As of this election there are only 11 states that do not allow early "no excuse" voting. Voting and the way America votes has changed and is still changing away from the "official" one-day mentality.
 
Mr. Pole said:
Nope. But when more than 40% of votes are cast before the "official" day to vote it sorta lessens the official qualifier, don't you think? As of this election there are only 11 states that do not allow early "no excuse" voting. Voting and the way America votes has changed and is still changing away from the "official" one-day mentality.
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The "mentality" is a different issue altogether.

I think early voting is a great thing: It's sensible, convenient and quicker - for those who are able to use it, that is.
Having just one day on which people can vote is old fashioned and doesn't fit in with the modern world and I'm glad to see the US is moving away from it.

However, doesn't change a thing for me in terms of Tuesday still being the "official" voting day, certainly not while the majority still vote on that day (many of whom have no option but to do so).
 
YummySushiPJs said:
(many of whom have no option but to do so).
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Statistically speaking the minority of people are the ones with no choice but to vote on the 8th. The states in red have "no excuse" early voting which begins in October.
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Only the dark grey states mandate in-person "day of" voting.
 
I think because we often know the resuts of voting on Tuesday it also plays into it being referred to as the official Election Day.

@Mr. Pole what are the yellow and light grey states?
 
@brinkster
Yellow states are those that allow early voting with an excuse as to why you cannot vote on the 8th. Light grey states are 'vote-by-mail' states (which again are early voters).

(the original query was do "we" still vote on Tuesday... now I could debate why the 8th isn't really the official election day either but that's for another thread)
 
If anyone is interested in watching the end of the world/not quite the end of the world but still pretty grim unfold with me then join me in the chattybox later as I will be pulling an all-nighter checking out the BBC's great coverage.
 
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