Why is America voting on a tuesday ?

almost every other country votes on a sunday, which kinda makes sense. you want people to be able to participate in a vote and thats difficult if you have a job, especially when i see the long lines for voting in America. why is that ? cant you just open another voting "office", this all seems terrible organized and planned.

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

CountScrofula · 41-45, M

So first - the US is one of the only countries that doesn't centrally plan its election. It's not one election, it's 50+ little ones.

Tuesday is a pre-car idea. Church on Sunday, travel to vote on Monday, vote on Tuesday. Vote in November after harvest is done.

And the long lines for in-person voting are on purpose. Elections tend to veer to the right when it's harder to vote.

basilfawlty89 · 36-40, M

@CountScrofula we get a public holiday on voting day. I like how because of our geography and that we're developing that were considered backwards, but at least everyone can vote here.

ChipmunkErnie · 70-79, M

@basilfawlty89 Everyone can vote here, the trouble is so many don't. But while we have "Election Day" on Tuesday, millions have already voted via mail-in ballots, drop-off ballots, and early in-person voting sites. In my state mail-in/drop-off ballots go out to voters 45 days before the election and early in person voting has been going on since last week.

MethDozer · M

@CountScrofula Exactly. In truth only 538 people get to actually vote on who becomes president

basilfawlty89 · 36-40, M

@ChipmunkErnie a lot of people might be dissuaded because of the electrocal college meaning you don't directly elect your leaders.

CountScrofula · 41-45, M

@ChipmunkErnie Yep, absolutely but I think a lot of it is the early in-person and mail-in voting has been a historical compromise around the limited polling stations.

Other countries just tend to have sufficient polling stations.

Punches · 46-50, F

@CountScrofula

Elections tend to veer to the right when it's harder to vote.

Why is that though? I do assume you mean "right wing"? One might argue that tRump is pulling every trick in the book but obviously this has been going on long before he was on the scene.

LeopoldBloom · M

@MethDozer Although, electors tend to be party loyalists, so it's not like the electors will meet and pick someone they aren't pledged to. There have been "faithless electors" but not many, and some states have legal penalties for electors who violate their pledge. It's theoretically possible for Elon Musk to attempt to bribe each elector with 100 million dollars to vote for his preferred candidate, but keeping something like that secret, especially when it became obvious that the electors were ignoring their pledge, would be very difficult.