Farmers' routines were considered to ensure farmers had enough time to vote
By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com
Across the U.S., people are casting their votes to elect the next president.; As far as most can remember, Election Day takes place on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November.
Why is that? In a word – farmers.
In 1845, Congress decided a national election day was needed. At the time, the U.S. was dominated by agriculture, and farmers’ needs had to be taken into consideration.
Fridays and weekends were considered days of worship, and Wednesdays usually market days – meaning these days were ineligible.
A Monday voting day meant farmers had to travel by horse and cart to the polling station on Sunday.
Voting on Thursday meant farmers would be traveling on Wednesday instead of selling their crops.
Thus, it was decided Election Day would fall on Tuesday. Farmers could travel on Monday, vote the following day and be back home in time for market day on Wednesday.
Farmers also factor into the reason why the election is held in the month of November.
“Spring was planting season and in the fall, farmers were busy with crops right until harvest time,” Franchesca Ramsey, a YouTube personality explains in a History Channel video. ”And winter weather made travel more difficult. So early November seemed the obvious choice.”