• Schadrach@lemmy.sdf.org
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      17 hours ago

      It’s on Tuesday because that was actually convenient with the flow of business at the time. Most were Christian and wouldn’t work or travel on Sunday if possible, it often took a day’s travel to get to the nearest town with a polling place, and Wednesday was market day.

      If Sunday and Wednesday are right out and you need a day’s travel time (which also can’t be Sunday or Wednesday) you’re basically left with Tuesday or Friday. And if you’re going to be in town for the market anyways then Tuesday makes more sense.

      It is in November because that’s after the biggest harvests, but not so far after that the weather is likely to be rough. And it’s the Tuesday after the first Monday so that it can’t overlap with All Saints Day.

      On the upside it could be changed with a regular old law, it doesn’t require an amendment or anything.

      • Valmond@lemmy.world
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        14 hours ago

        Some countries let you vote for 2-3 weeks, others it’s a sunday. Tusday was maybe the best a thousand years ago but who cares? Thanks for the interesting history lesson though!

        • Schadrach@lemmy.sdf.org
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          10 hours ago

          Tusday was maybe the best a thousand years ago but who cares?

          Closer to two hundred years ago, since the law in question was passed in 1854. But the point was it’s that way for a reason, and that reason was a good reason at the time it was done. It seems so weird now because of social change that has since made it inconvenient.

          It can also be changed if Congress wanted to, as it’s just a regular law and not part of the Constitution or something else that would be harder to change.