# Why vote on a Tuesday? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 3, 2004, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-vote-on-a-tuesday/272643 "2004-11-03T00:06:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-vote-on-a-tuesday/272643/1 "2004-11-03T00:06:55Z")
There’s probably a simple answer to this but googling “election+tuesday” is _not_ a good idea today. And a cursory check at the FEC website didn’t give a lot of info, besides rules about financing. I think most countries in Europe hold their elections on Sundays, it being the day of the week when most people are not working. Having it on a workday seems to be inviting less voters. But then again, you guys have to register to vote, no? We Swedes just get the voting card sent home by mail and are told where to vote should we want to. It almost seems like the US system tries to have voters make an effort to cast a vote. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-vote-on-a-tuesday/272643/2 "2004-11-03T00:10:50Z")
First Tuesday after the first Monday in November. That way Election Day can never fall on the First of the month, when businesses do inventory and all the other junk that paperwork requires. Since they have to give you time off to vote, this keeps the nation’s businesses ticking along without disruption. We can’t have elections on Sunday…they would conflict with football! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-vote-on-a-tuesday/272643/3 "2004-11-03T00:13:31Z")
From [here](http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/articles/dummy04-abc.html) > [@](#): > > Before the advent of automobiles, many folks needed at least a day to get to their polling places. Since Sunday was a day of rest or worship, Monday was deemed a travel day. That made Tuesday the logical choice. By the way, in deference to Catholics, Nov. 1 was ruled out because it was All Saints Day. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-vote-on-a-tuesday/272643/4 "2004-11-03T00:15:30Z")
There’s another thread [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5436900#post5436900) discussing similar issues. In Australia, we always vote on a Saturday. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-vote-on-a-tuesday/272643/5 "2004-11-03T00:52:21Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Since they have to give you time off to vote “They” do? Is this true? I have a small business (9 employees) and I did not give anyone time off to vote. I voted before work, I would think my employees could also. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-vote-on-a-tuesday/272643/6 "2004-11-03T00:53:53Z")
If your work shift conflicts with open polls. If they have time before or after work, then you don’t have to do squat. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-vote-on-a-tuesday/272643/7 "2004-11-03T01:01:47Z")
Why google? This is quicker and better. 😃 Thanks guys. I knew there was a logical reason behind this. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-vote-on-a-tuesday/272643/8 "2004-11-03T01:04:41Z")
> [@The Gaspode](#): > > I think most countries in Europe hold their elections on Sundays. In the UK it’s Thursday. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-vote-on-a-tuesday/272643/9 "2004-11-03T01:07:31Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > If your work shift conflicts with open polls. If they have time before or after work, then you don’t have to do squat. Not according to this link. Varies by state, but in my state (Pennsylvania) there is no such provision. [http://www.fordharrison.com/fh/news/articles/20041014time\_for\_voting.asp](http://www.fordharrison.com/fh/news/articles/20041014time_for_voting.asp) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-vote-on-a-tuesday/272643/10 "2004-11-03T01:17:56Z")
I sit corrected. 😃 The only states I’ve ever owned businesses in were Alaska and California, which have such laws. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-vote-on-a-tuesday/272643/11 "2004-11-03T01:25:47Z")
> [@Tapioca Dextrin](#): > > From [here](http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/articles/dummy04-abc.html) In reference to **Tapi D** ’ **s** link, I’ve read that the framers chose November so as to intentionally not coincide with any farming season: i.e. planting, harvesting, etc. . . . Dang, I just went through all my hardback textbooks and couldn’t find it. But I know I read it somewhere. . . Tripler I call _Your Rugged Constitution_ © 1952 by Bruce Allen Findlay & Esther Blair Findlay my personal bible. ---
**Author:** ![Iceland\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@Iceland\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iceland_Blue)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2004, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-vote-on-a-tuesday/272643/12 "2004-11-03T10:55:46Z")
> [@Tapioca Dextrin](#): > > In the UK it’s Thursday. Correction…It can be any day that they want. In the 1930s there was one on a Tuesday. A couple have been on Monday-it’s been tradition to hold it on Thursday but there’s no legal demand to have it then.