I’ve often wondered why the day for federal elections is set on Tuesday. In the midst of a busy week, with school, work, family responsibilities, and the like. Why not, say, on Saturday? Now I know.
It seems that Tuesday was chosen for the convenience of voters, which, in those days (1845), were the more prosperous white men. Those guys were mostly rural Christian farmers. That meant that they couldn’t vote on Sunday, the Lord’s day, and Wednesday was Market day. Besides, they had to travel by horse one or two days to get to the polling place. Tuesday worked around all that for most of them
But why November? Because by early November the crops have been harvested, yet harsh winter weather hadn’t set in yet. It was a handy time for them to travel to vote.
Who votes has changed, and we’re less of an agrarian economy than in those days. But the Tuesday after the first Monday in November remains the same.
Who says politics is behind the times?
