# Election day?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day/40212>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 8, 2000, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day/40212 "2000-11-08T00:40:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mongrel\_8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@mongrel\_8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mongrel_8)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2000, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day/40212/1 "2000-11-08T00:40:53Z")

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One of the clues on Jeopardy asked when the latest day that the election could be held. (It was used in the context of Reagan getting elected, I think.) The correct answer was November 8. I thought that the election had to be held on the first Tuesday of the month. So is there a rule that it can’t be held on the first?

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**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2000, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day/40212/2 "2000-11-08T01:02:39Z")

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It is the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. From [http://www3.kumc.edu/diversity/other/election.html:](http://www3.kumc.edu/diversity/other/election.html:)

> [@](#):
>
> Every four years, on Election Day, (Tuesday after the first Monday in October), registered\* voters in the United States cast their votes for presidential electors. Collectively, these electors form the Electoral College. The number of electors per state is equal to the number in its Congressional delegation. Thus, each state has at least three electors. Kansas has six electors and Missouri has eleven. These electors meet on the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December to elect the President and Vice-President.
> 
> In 1854, Congress established Election Day in response to abuses caused by the previous system of electing the President and Vice-President. Under the old system, states could appoint electors at any time within 34 days prior to the convening of electors in December.

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**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2000, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/election-day/40212/3 "2000-11-08T13:51:08Z")

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_Every four years, on Election Day, (Tuesday after the first Monday in **October** )…_

You of course meant November, right?