Why is the first Tuesday in November Election Day?

In 1845, Congress needed to pick a time for Americans to vote. We were a farming society, so it had to be after the harvest but before the weather got bad. That made early November the obvious choice.

We traveled by horse and buggy. Farmers needed a day to get to the county seat, a day to vote, and a day to get back, without interfering with church services. So, Tuesday it was.

 

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