The Tuesday after the first Monday in November became Election Day in the United States largely by default. When uniform day for presidential elections was set in the 19th century, the country was mostly a Christian, rural, agrarian society. Sunday was for worship, Wednesday was a market day, and because some people would have to travel long distances to the polls, Monday and Thursday were out, too. So, Tuesday it became—specifically a Tuesday that wouldn’t conflict with the farming calendar or the worst of winter’s weather. (And never November 1,…
