Why is Election Day always on Tuesday? Here's what you need to know

For more than 170 years, American voters have flocked to the polls to cast their ballots on the first Tuesday in November.

The first federal Election Day was held in the United States in 1845. Before that, the federal government allowed states to hold their elections anytime within a 34-day period before the first Wednesday in December.

However, this gave some early voting states more leverage in the election, because knowing early voting results could influence turnout and opinions in other states.

Hoping to level the playing field for all candidates, Congress established today’s Election Day as the deadline for residents of all states to cast their ballots.

This is why the government favors the first Tuesday in November as election day.

Why is Election Day the first Tuesday in November?

The answer lies in agricultural culture, historians say.

The spring and summer elections were thought to disrupt farmers’ planting seasons, and the late summer and early fall elections overlapped with their busiest harvest, History.com indicates.

Winter elections were not a smart decision as the arrival of harsh winter conditions could make it impossible for farmers to travel to polling stations. And at the time, many citizens lived far from a polling station.

That made November – after the completion of the harvest but before the winter weather – the best month to hold elections.

Agricultural culture also explains why Tuesday was established as the preferred day of the week for voting.

According to History.com, many farmers in 19th century America spent Wednesdays setting up markets to sell their produce. However, most families also spent Sundays in church, so weekends were out of the question. A Thursday or Friday made no sense because votes had to be counted immediately after Election Day, but that would mean that the weekend, often devoted to agriculture, would likely have to be spent counting votes.

That made Tuesday the most practical day to hold elections, as states were given a full day to prepare after the weekend, historians said.

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