Why US Elections always fall on first Tuesday in November: Here’s the long story short

The voting for the US presidential elections will take place on November 5 — the first Tuesday of that month. This is not a coincidence. It's a rule in the US that the election for president of the United States must take place on the first Tuesday in November.

In 2024, the US elections are being held on November 5. Likewise, in 2028, it will be on Tuesday, November 7, and in 2032, the Election Day will be held on Tuesday, November 2.

Some states offer early voting dates, but most people vote on Election Day, that is, in November.

Why is US general election held on this particular Tuesday? There's a rule

For the unversed, the US general elections are also known as popular vote — that takes place every four years. Citizens cast their vote in these elections to choose a presidential candidate. But they are actually voting for their candidate's preferred state electors. [Catch an explainer on this below later in the story]

Now, on the Election Day, there's an Act of 28th Congress, passed January 23, 1845. It is an Act that established a uniform time for holding elections for US president and vice-president.

The Act of 28th Congress states that: “Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the electors of President and Vice President shall be appointed in each State on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November of the year in which they are to be appointed...”

But why a Tuesday in November? There's a long story behind

The reason pertains to rural America before 1845, when the law was introduced. History explains that back in the time, states had a window of 34 days for the citizens to vote. It had to be done by the first Wednesday in December. But this created problems.

It was contended that states that conducted early elections could potentially sway the opinion of states that voted later. To deal with this problem, the US Congress decided to pick a fixed date to hold the general elections.

In a bid to encourage voting, they needed to find a date that would fit best for the voters. According to the Overseas Vote Foundation organisation, “the majority of Americans were farmers at the time the federal law was passed.”

Farmers or the rural population lived far away from the polling places, so the lawmakers had to take their travel days into account.

They ruled about weekends, as most Americans went to church on Sundays. Meanwhile, Wednesdays were market days for farmers in early America. Therefore, they settled on Tuesday, as it allowed people to travel on Monday, History explained. In 1800s, there were no cars, and it took a while for people to travel from one place to another.

Since 1875, the Elections Day has been held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, the Georgetown University explained in a video. Here's the video to understand this concept better:

But then, why November?

The agrarian culture also explains why Election Day always falls in November. For farmers, the spring was the planting season and in summers, that had to work in the field. By the beginning of November, the harvesting was done.  

"Spring and early summer elections were thought to interfere with the planting season, and late summer and early fall elections overlapped with the harvest. That left the late fall month of November — after the harvest was complete, but before the arrival of harsh winter weather—as the best choice," History explained.

Who do Americans vote for in US election: Candidate or elector?

People in every US state vote for one President and Vice-President. When Americans go to the polls in November, they will choose their favorite presidential candidate and their running mate.

But it's not the candidate you are voting for on the Election Day. Here's what actually happens:

Simply put, when people cast their vote, they are actually voting for a group of people called electors. The US government explains, “When you vote for a Presidential candidate, you aren't actually voting for President. You are telling your State which candidate you want your State to vote for at the meeting of the electors.”

"The States use these general election results (also known as the popular vote) to appoint their electors. The winning candidate's State political party selects the individuals who will be the electors," it further says.

These electors then vote later. The presidential nominee with the most electoral votes becomes the President of the United States. Electors are the only ones who actually vote for President, which they do at the meeting of the electors. This meeting is held on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December. Tap here to read more details

Early voting

Depending on where a person live, the voting period may be extended to include: Absentee voting and voting by mail and Early voting.

Early voting gives a person options to plan and schedule voting before the November Election Day. It can even help reduce stress when Election Day ends up not being the most convenient for them.