Why Tuesday?

Do you know why US elections are always on Tuesday? Turns out that voting on Tuesdays is not required for the US Constitution, but instead was done to make it convenient for voters in 1845:

This Election Day, “the Tuesday after the first Monday of November,” was in fact established in 1845 by federal law. In those years, when we were a primarily agrarian nation, Tuesday was a convenient day for most eligible voters (rural workers and land-owning gentry) to journey to the county seat, vote, and journey back home- a trek that could take up to three days. Congress did not want this travel to conflict with days of religious observance, which left Tuesday and Wednesday. Wednesday was market day. So: Tuesday.

But now, this obviously no longer applies. Actually, voter turn out would probably increase if election day falls on a Saturday or a Sunday.

So, in a bid to get the move Election Day to the weekend, Get Out the Why is holding a contest: ask an elected official "Why Tuesday?" and get paid!

The first qualifying clip we receive of each U.S. Senator and each Governor answering the question will receive a prize of $500.

One clip of each Congress-person (Member of the House) will get a $300 prize.

And, best for last: if you get any U.S. Vice-President, sitting or former, answering the question you’ll receive $2500, and if you get any U. S. President, sitting or former, it’s $5000.

In addition to the above, three lucky winners will receive $1500 on the basis of a clip that’s particularly amusing, timely, or well executed.

So far, they’ve got: Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), Rep. Tim-Ryan (D-OH 17th), Sen Richard G. Luger (R-IN), Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI), Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (D), and Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) [all YouTube].

Links: Get Out the Why | Why Tuesday?