General or Presidential Elections
This year, on Tuesday, November 5th, 2024, the next President and Vice President of the United States of America will be elected, as well as 1/3 of the U.S. Senators and all 435 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives will be chosen. Yes, the election will take place on Tuesday.
But have you ever wondered why the election usually occurs during the week, namely on Tuesday? As always at U.S. Vote Foundation, we've got the answer for you! We're here to help you understand and exercise your voting rights and you can even build your knowledge of U.S. elections at the same time. Read on!
Every Four Years
Every four years, the General Election takes place (for a more detailed description of the types of elections, read our blog on types of elections). According to the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. President and Vice President are elected every four years. Furthermore, the U.S. Constitution states that all 435 U.S. House of Representatives members have a term of 2 years, meaning they have to be elected every two years. As for the U.S. Senator, their terms are longer, namely six years.
This means that one third of the U.S. Senators are up for an election every two years, or 33-34 Senate seats, depending on the year, are vacant. In short, every four years, we've got a major election that can change the direction of the country, depending on the election results.
A Special Tuesday
Unlike most countries that hold their elections on Sundays, the United States of America has its General Election on a special Tuesday. It is the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. In 2024, the General Election will take place on Tuesday, November 5th, 2024. In 2028, it will be on Tuesday, November 7th, 2028, and in 2032, Election Day will be held on Tuesday, November 2nd, 2032.
On November 5th, 2024, U.S. citizens will be able to fill 469 seats in the U.S. Congress (1/3 or 34 seats in the U.S. Senate and all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives) as well as technically elect the electors who elect the new President and Vice President (for more on how U.S. President is elected, read our blog on the Electoral College). But why is the General Election on this particular Tuesday?
Act of the 28th Congress
On January 23rd, 1845, the U.S. 28th Congress passed a Statue II, Chapter I "An Act to Establish a Uniform Time for Holding Elections for Electors of President and Vice President in all States of the Union," that defined a special Tuesday as Election Day. The Act states,
"Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the electors of President and Vice President shall be appointed in each State on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November of the year in which they are to be appointed: Provided, That each State may by law provide for the filling of any vacancy or vacancies which may occur in its college of electors when such college meets to give its electoral vote."
The Act unified the date of the election for all states and fixed it to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. This Act is still in effect today and explains why the General Election is on Tuesday. But there is more to the story.
Solving an Important Problem
The 1845 Act of the 28th Congress solved a significant flaw of the previous election system. Before the federal law of 1845 was passed, all states were allowed to hold elections on any day within 34 days before the first Wednesday in December, when the electors of the Electoral College formerly met. In that system, states that held federal elections earlier within 34-day period published their final election results, and therefore influenced the outcome of the election results in the states that held their federal elections later. As a result, the states that had voted earlier swayed the results in the states that had their elections later. Deciding on a uniform day as Election Day has helped to remove the undue influence of states that completed their voting prior to that day.
Tuesday was chosen as Election Day for convenience. According to History, agrarian culture explains why Tuesday in November was selected.
"Tuesday was selected as the first and most convenient day of the week to hold elections. Farm culture also explains why Election Day always falls in November. Spring and early summer elections were thought to interfere with the planting season, and late summer and early fall elections overlapped with the harvest. That left the late fall month of November—after the harvest was complete, but before the arrival of harsh winter weather—as the best choice."
In short, because the majority of Americans were farmers at the time the federal law was passed, Tuesday in November worked best with the planting season. Tuesday gave U.S. citizens enough time (one day each way) to travel to the polling stations and back. As for Sunday, it was impractical because the majority of Americans attended church; and Wednesdays were market days for farmers, which made things impractical. So, Tuesday was chosen. Tuesday also stayed until nowadays.
So, next time you wonder about the famous second Tuesday after the first Monday in November, you know the whole story. You can impress everyone! Now we have a question for you! Have you registered to vote on Tuesday, November 5th, 2024 yet? If you haven't, what are you waiting for?!
What Options to Election Day are Available?
If you are an overseas voter and voting from abroad, the good news is, voting is very convenient because you receive your ballot prior to Election Day. If you've requested it, overseas ballots start to be sent out 45 days prior to the election!
Check Out Our Overseas Voter Tools and Services Now!
If you are in the U.S. and voting domestically and finding that Election Day on Tuesday is not so convenient - most states have options! You can potentially vote by absentee ballot, or vote early before Election Day.
Can I Vote Early in My State? See the Early Voting Dates Chart
What Are the Ways I Can Vote in My State? See Our Voting Methods and Options Chart
