When is Election Day 2018? History, Traditions, and Facts

when is election day

Why is Election Day celebrated?

National Election Day, one of the most important days in the US is celebrated on the first Tuesday which follows the first Monday every November. Election Day in 2018 will fall on the 6th of November. The reason for voting to be held in November is because it is a time when the harvest is coming to an end, and people are less busy comparatively. The very first election for George Washington was held on the 7th of January 1789. But on 23rd January 1845, the Congress declared the first Tuesday that falls after the first Monday in November the day for Presidential Elections. After the declaration made by the Congress, the first election was held on 7th November 1848 when Zachary Taylor became the 12th President of the United States.

The US citizens vote for their choice of nominated candidates on Election Day. In every two years election for federal officials are held, and every four years the Presidential polls are conducted. Most European and South American countries hold their Election Day on a Sunday.

Canada holds its election day once in every four years in October on the third Monday. Australia holds its Election Day on a Saturday. The European Union Election is stretched over a period of four days (From Thursday all the way to Sunday).

The most popular parties of the United States of America are the Republicans and the Democrats. President Donald Trump belongs to the Republican party of the United States of America.

When is Election Day 2018, 2019, and 2020?

The following are the dates on which the Tuesday after the first Monday of November has fallen and will fall in the coming years:

Year Election Day
2017 November 7, Tuesday
2018 November 6, Tuesday
2019 November 5, Tuesday
2020 November 3, Tuesday

States in the USA such as Hawaii, New York, New Jersey and few others offer a holiday on Election day while many others are given an off to vote. Countries such as Brazil and Kuwait do not allow their soldiers to vote.

History of Election Day

Before 1845, there was no fixed time for voting; the people could vote any day as long as it fell 34 days before December’s first Wednesday. This phenomenon was seen as inconvenient as it affected both the later voters who were affected by people who already voted and the people who voted, in the end, changing the course of the polls.

To solve this issue, the Congress fixed the voting date to the Tuesday after the first Monday of November. Also since November is the time when harvest season is coming to an end it was considered to be a good month to hold elections.

But why does Election Day fall on Tuesday and not any other day?

During the 1800s when most the Americans were farmers many of them lived very far from where the polling took place and had to travel a long distance to get there which would take them a day or two. Since Sunday was church day and Wednesday was the market day the government chose Tuesday to make it convenient for the farmers.

Election Symbols

  • The Elephant: The symbol of an Elephant represents the Republican party of America and is also represented by the colour Red
  • The Donkey: The emblem of a Donkey represents the Democratic Party of America and is also represented by the colour Blue
  • Clasped hands of two people from different ethnicity: This symbol is used to represent the Socialist party of the United States of America

Other symbols are The Statue of Liberty, The eagle, a patriot carrying a gun, an owl and a planet within a flower.

Traditions of Election Day

  1. In Lebanon, it is a tradition to fire guns in the air
  2. People prefer voting early on to dodge the enormous crowd that is formed towards the evening
  3. Citizens choose and vote for electors who in turn vote for the President
  4. Certain states and countries do not allow the consumption of alcohol before voting
  5. Another tradition is giving each voter a voting sticker once they exit the booth

Facts related to Election Day

  1. Ever since the first Election in 1789, there have been 57 Presidential inaugurations in the United States of America
  2. In Oregon and Washington, all the votes of the citizens are to be sent by post and should reach before the prescribed time on Election Day
  3. Barack Obama is the first African–American to be voted as the President in 2008
  4. The Election Voting Machine was introduced only in the 20th Century
  5. On 7 November 1893, Women were granted the right to vote in Colorado
  6. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan won 525 votes out of 538 and remained the one with the highest amount of Electoral votes
  7. Reporting on anything related to polls during Election time in the UK is strictly prohibited
  8. In Kuwait and Brazil soldiers are not allowed to vote
Simran is a constant work in progress and never says no to an opportunity. She loves writing and broadening the knowledge of vocabularies and use of language. She believes that there's always something to gain from experiences no matter how small they may be.