America, can we talk? Tuesday of this week is a very important day. It’s Election Day, aka the day we vote on not only the next President of the United States, as well as many other very important political positions and issues.
With that in mind, knowing how much we really need to be involved in these decisions, WHY THE HELL ARE WE STILL DOING THIS ON A TUESDAY?!
Wouldn’t it make more sense to have the election say, on a day where most people AREN’T AT WORK?
Of course it would, but much like Daylight Savings Time, which also makes no sense, the reasons we vote on Tuesdays is because of something that mattered decades ago yet now no longer applies.
Get this… The reason we vote on Tuesdays are based on a law that was put in place more than 170 years ago. You see, back then, the government didn’t want to hold elections on the weekend because of the Sabbath, aka religious reasons. So, instead they decided to do it during the week.
But why Tuesday, I hear you asking. Because Monday was set aside so people could ride their horses or hop in their wagons and travel to wherever it was they were required to vote.
Totally makes sense that we are still following this antiquated reasoning for voting on Tuesdays, right?
As John Oliver points out in his latest “How Is This Still a Thing” segment on Last Week Tonight, the voting process could be made SO MUCH EASIER and have a much higher turnout if did any of the following: expanded early voting, declared Election Day a national holiday (I like that one), or, duh, just moved it to the weekend.
Eh, all of those ideas probably make WAY too much sense to apply to our so finely-tuned political system.
See you at the polls…if you can make it.