Explainer: Why is US election always held on Tuesday in November?

The election in the United States is always held on the first Tuesday of November in every four years but why was this specific day chosen to be the day for every election?

Before, election day varied state by state all across the US. However, in the 1845, a law was passed to set a day on which the entire country would observe the general election. 

This led to the first Tuesday of November being designated as the election day in the US.

Although it may seem that the first Tuesday of November was picked at random, there were many reasons underlying the law.

In 1845, the Americans were largely agrarian and automobiles were not yet invented. Early November was a good choice as the harvest season would be over by then and the weather would be mild as well to travel.

After that came the selection of a day in early November.

Sundays were set aside because it was the Church day and American Christians would rest and pray on the said day. Wednesdays were also set aside because in some areas, it was the market day where farmers would sell their crops.

Additionally, a travel day was also required because in rural areas, people would need to travel to reach their nearest polling stations and with Sundays and Wednesdays set aside, Monday and Thursday was not a good option for the general public and so the first Tuesday of November was deemed as the best option.

The election day was further specified as the Tuesday after the first Monday of November to prevent it from falling on the first day of the month.

This is because on November 1, Christians would observe “All Saints’ Day” and the traders would set their books right on the first day of every month.

Back in 1845, the day was picked to avoid hindering the American society and working class.

In this era, the day has become an inconvenience for the Americans as less than 2% of them work in the agriculture field and almost all of them work on Tuesdays throughout the year.

People have asked for Election Day to be observed as a federal holiday so that people can vote with convenience and some suggested for the official day to be moved to the weekend although it has not been made as such.

The date and day, however, can be changed but only if the Congress passes an act and it is approved by the US president because Election Day is part of the law.