For Over 150 Years US Elections Have Been Held Only On Tuesday, Here Is Why

Is it a coincidence that the US presidential polls are taking place on a Tuesday? Would you trust, if you are told that the 21 century America has a 'religious belief' to do so? Well, here are the reasons why the US does so - holds presidential polls on the Tuesday after the first Monday of November, every four years.

AFP

Why on Tuesday?

Tuesday as voting day is more religious than political reasons. The story dates back to 1845, when the US Congress passed a federal law requiring that electors must be appointed on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

November was chosen with farmers in mind as election in spring and early summer would have interfered with planting season and early fall overlapped with the harvest.

As for Tuesday the day was chosen keeping in mind that the then voters who had to travel far didn't miss church on Sundays!?

Since in the 1800s the US was still largely an agrarian rural community and the most popular means of travel was on horseback, for many of the voters it took the travel of well over a day to cast their vote.

NPR

At that time the farmers usually worked in their fields till Saturday and Sunday was considered a day for rest, and most of them would be spending the day at church, which effectively ruled out the weekends as voting days.

Monday wasn't chosen for the reason that for a majority it took the long travel and the day was meant to reach the voting center. So that is how Tuesday was chosen to elect the most powerful president in the world, and it still for some reasons continues till date.