Mid-term elections are starting from today. Why is the US general election scheduled for Tuesday? Almost 200 years of tradition revealed

Americamidterm elections Why does the United States hold elections on a weekday, Tuesday, unlike many countries that vote on the 3rd?

This tradition, which has been going on for almost 200 years, is actually closely tied to the lives of American farmers in the 19th century. At the time, people had to go to church on Sunday and Wednesday was market day, so Tuesday became the most convenient day to vote. However, as times have changed, the rules that were made for the convenience of farmers have now become difficult for many office workers to find time to vote. To date, Election Day is not even listed as a federal holiday in the United States.

US midterm elections will change federal electionsLok Sabha With a total of 435 seats up for grabs, 35 Senate seats and a number of state and local public offices, the election results will determine the distribution of power in Congress over the next two years.

According to reports from the US History Channel and NBC Local News Network, the official voting day for the presidential and midterm elections in the United States has been scheduled for “the Tuesday after the first Monday in November”, i.e. between November 2 and 8.

The tradition dates back to 1845, when the United States was still dominated by agriculture. Farmers lived away from polling stations and it took a whole day to cast their vote. Since they had to go to church on Sunday, market day on Wednesday, and travel on Monday, Tuesday was the most suitable day, allowing farmers to leave a day early, vote the next day, and return home.

As far as choosing November is concerned, we also consider farming. Spring is busy with sowing, and late summer to early autumn is the harvest season. November coincides with the end of the autumn harvest and the harsh winter has not yet arrived, making it easier for farmers to go out.

In fact, before 1845, each state in the United States could set the date of a presidential election on its own within a 34-day period, resulting in the results of the first voting state potentially influencing voters in other states. To this end, Congress passed a law on January 23, 1845, unifying the date of presidential elections, and the same rules were later adopted for congressional elections. The Tuesday after the first Monday in November is specifically chosen to avoid the Christian All Saints Day on 1 November and Merchant’s Settlement Day at the beginning of the month.

However, the arrangements which were convenient for farmers have now become difficult for many office workers to find time to vote. Although some in the United States have repeatedly proposed moving the election to a weekend or making Election Day a federal holiday, this has not changed until now.

According to a report by CBS 8 in the United States, states such as Illinois, West Virginia, Maryland, Hawaii and New York have listed Election Day as a state holiday and have rules allowing employees to take time off to vote. Montana and Indiana have also declared Election Day a holiday, and some state government agencies will be closed, but employers are not required to furlough or pay employees. For California and Colorado, although Election Day is not designated as a holiday, eligible workers can enjoy up to two hours of paid voting time.

In addition, the United States also reduces the inconvenience for voters to vote on weekdays through early voting and mail-in voting. According to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures, as of April 2026, 47 states in the United States and Washington, DC, allow all voters to vote in advance in person, while voting by mail is conducted according to state rules.