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News-Sentinel.com Your Town. Your Voice.
Opening Arguments

Why Tuesday?

Answer to the question we never thought to ask, "Why are elections on Tuesdays?"

. . . with the advent of the railroad and telegraph, Congress decided it was time to standardize a date. Monday was out, because it would require people to travel to the polls by buggy on the Sunday Sabbath. Wednesday was also not an option, because it was market day, and farmers wouldn’t be able to make it to the polls. So it was decided that Tuesday would be the day that Americans would vote in elections, and in 1845, Congress passed a law that presidential elections would be held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

Interesting. No real point to having the elections on a Tuesday these days, especially with the ability to vote early spreading to more and more states. I wouldn't mind having a three-day official voting period, say a Thursday-Friday-Saturday stretch.

Comments

Harl Delos
Mon, 10/29/2012 - 10:46am

What problem do you have with the current early voting in Indiana? 

It's been going on since October 8, and you don't need an illness or diability, don't need to have pressing affairs out of the county or anything like that. No excuse is necessary. You just show up at the Board of Elections office at 1 West Superior, between 8 and 4 on weekdays (of if you live in another county, show up at your own county BOE.

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