The club goes up on a Tuesday. There’s taco Tuesday (it’s a thing, look it up). And yes, we vote on a Tuesday. Why the hell do we vote on a Tuesday though? And why aren’t important days, like days that could cause complete political revolutions like voting in the primaries, made a national holiday? Brace yourself, because this may surprise you, but the reason is because voting and democracy in America was designed to serve rich white men. Shocking, I know.
Congress decided Tuesday worked best for all the men who could vote in 1845 based on the agrarian culture and religious customs of the time. Basically, Sunday was meant to be kept holy so no one traveled. Actually, there were three days of worship because God was a little more narcissistic back then. Everyone used horse and buggy to travel, so men needed a whole day to get to the county seat. That left Tuesday, since Wednesday was market day for farmers and they needed to make their riches. Let’s break this down: We vote on a Tuesday to accommodate no one.
The archaic and outdated structure of voting on a Tuesday has not only kept voter turnout embarrassingly low in the United States, but assists in the systematic oppression of minorities and the working class. Not to mention that access to polls may be limited in some parts of the country, even keeping them open from 6:00AM-9:00PM for national elections limits access that citizens have to actually signing off on the ballot. Mind you, voter laws for primary elections can further limit and restrict the time for polling stations, obstructing and interfering with social justice. Not to mention that many states have closed primaries, disenfranchising millions of voters. Who is this serving? The same rich white men who it was designed to serve in the first place.
Are you mad yet? Do something about it. And, if you are afforded the opportunity to, go and vote!
Image from ThinkProgress
More from BUST
Dear John Kasich, I’m Totally ‘Over’ LGBTQIA Discrimination
7 Things Millennials Need To Know About Anita Hill
Ted Cruz’s Seedy Sex-Obsessed Past Catches Up With Him
