Did the Founders Intentionally make it hard for regular people to vote?

[calamity]

By Constitutional decree, US elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Why the ****? Seriously, why Tuesday?

I suspect it was done to prevent the average working man from participating.

What say you?

 

[Tender Branson]

No.

It was merely the sign of the times.

200+ years ago, voting on Sunday was not possible because everyone was a religious bigot and it was the „Day of the Lord“ and you should rest on that day.

Later, with the immigration of Jews, Saturday and therefore Sabbat, was also not possible because you shall not vote on that day either.

Therefore, no weekend or Sunday voting like in most European countries.

Today, you can easily vote on all days though by requesting a mail ballot, so it’s not an issue any longer.

Requesting one is fairly easy here in Austria, so saying „I had no time to vote“ etc. is just a lame excuse.

But the outdated US constitution just shows how out of step it is with today’s needs and problems.

 

[BrotherFease]

By Constitutional decree, US elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Why the ****? Seriously, why Tuesday?

I suspect it was done to prevent the average working man from participating.

What say you?

Let me give you some historical background here: I have studied all of the U.S elections and U.S presidents.

In the beginning, only wealthy(landowning/politically connected), white males could vote. It was the original intention for "sophisticated people" to vote. The 1824 presidential election between Adams, Jackson, Crawford, and Clay, were when the rules were slightly relaxed. You had to be white and male.

The other big thing is that elections didn't start on the first Tuesday of November. It used to be that elections occurred over a months time period (34 day window) anywhere between late October and early December. Each state decided when their elections took place. It was changed after the 1844 presidential election between James K. Polk and Henry Clay. The changed happened for two reasons: States influenced how other states would vote (Think how our primaries are today), and they needed to accommodate the farmers. Sunday was church day, so they couldn't work. Wednesday was market day. Tuesday was the compromised because it gave the farmers enough time to travel to their polling location and get home on time.

 

[SILVER SURFER]

Dunno about election day, but the electoral college was designed to keep power out of the hands of the great unwashed.

Per Hamilton, Federalist 68:

It was equally desirable, that the immediate election should be made by men most capable of analyzing the qualities adapted to the station, and acting under circumstances favorable to deliberation, and to a judicious combination of all the reasons and inducements which were proper to govern their choice. A small number of persons, selected by their fellow-citizens from the general mass, will be most likely to possess the information and discernment requisite to such complicated investigations.

 

[Exquisitor]

By Constitutional decree, US elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Why the ****? Seriously, why Tuesday?

I suspect it was done to prevent the average working man from participating.

What say you?

Monday may sometime be used as a holiday.

In Hawaii you have King Kamehameha day and a bunch of others.

This makes the day of voting regular throughout the year.

 

[Exquisitor]

By Constitutional decree, US elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Why the ****? Seriously, why Tuesday?

I suspect it was done to prevent the average working man from participating.

What say you?

I don't think it should be hard to vote, but as demonstration of your citizenship, if one desires to vote, they should get an ID and take part in the system.

Feeding the wrong people in line could be disturbing and make me not want to vote.

What if I eat that sandwich at you, how about if I eat it as you?

So I would rather common sense and courtesy rule, than partizan politics.

But have it your way Democrats, I have no one else to turn to.

 

[NewfieMom]

By Constitutional decree, US elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Why the ****? Seriously, why Tuesday?

I suspect it was done to prevent the average working man from participating.

What say you?

Of course elections were set to keep the "average man" from voting. The average man could not be a woman; could not be a slave or an indentured servant; could not be black or a native American; was required to be a landowner; and probably had some other hurdles to jump as well. The group of people who was allowed to vote was quite small. There was no need to limit the days on which the landowning, white men could vote. Republicans today are attempting to find a route back to the voting methods employed by The Founding Fathers. As a woman, I have to resist the Republicans.

 

[Antiwar]

Of course the "Founders" designed the governing and election systems so that they and elitists/politicians like them could maintain power (I'm not talking about presidential elections being held on Tuesdays). They took as much power as they could get away with. If they could've gotten away with absolutely no democratic voting by "The People," they would've done that. They couldn't, so they came up with other schemes to limit the power of "The People" and maintain the power of the elite.

 

[Questerr]

By Constitutional decree, US elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Why the ****? Seriously, why Tuesday?

I suspect it was done to prevent the average working man from participating.

What say you?

Considering the “work week” and “weekend” as we know them didn’t exist back then, that wasn’t the reason.

However, given the property requirements for voting, they definitely did hate average working men and didn’t want them to vote.

 

[BahamaBob]

I fail to see how voting on Tuesday or any other day for that manner could keep anyone from voting. We have absentee voting, early voting and on election day the time allotted for voting far exceeds any normal working shift.

 

[Noodlegawd]

By Constitutional decree, US elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Why the ****? Seriously, why Tuesday?

I suspect it was done to prevent the average working man from participating.

What say you?

How hard is it to stop by the poll in the morning on the way to work, or in the evening on the way home?

 

[Exquisitor]

Of course the "Founders" designed the governing and election systems so that they and elitists/politicians like them could maintain power (I'm not talking about presidential elections being held on Tuesdays). They took as much power as they could get away with. If they could've gotten away with absolutely no democratic voting by "The People," they would've done that. They couldn't, so they came up with other schemes to limit the power of "The People" and maintain the power of the elite.

The founders were inspired by the Misfit, to pen that which would last through the ages.

 

[Antiwar]

The founders were inspired by the Misfit, to pen that which would last through the ages.

Say what?

 

[Aristaeus]

Interesting fact: black men were given the vote before white women.

 

[Exquisitor]

Say what?

You know, I don't know where the Misfit is mentioned in Scripture.

Maybe they were His secret weapon.

 

[NoMoreDems-Reps]

By Constitutional decree, US elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Why the ****? Seriously, why Tuesday?

I suspect it was done to prevent the average working man from participating.

What say you?

I'd vote for:
Calamity just wants to bitch about America because your a liberal!

You would say the same thing if it were anyother day!

A Tuesday

 

[mrjurrs]

It's not that they only wanted the rich to vote, they only wanted the rich white males to vote.

 

[phoenix2020]

The other big thing is that elections didn't start on the first Tuesday of November. It used to be that elections occurred over a months time period (34 day window) anywhere between late October and early December. Each state decided when their elections took place. It was changed after the 1844 presidential election between James K. Polk and Henry Clay. The changed happened for two reasons: States influenced how other states would vote (Think how our primaries are today), and they needed to accommodate the farmers. Sunday was church day, so they couldn't work. Wednesday was market day. Tuesday was the compromised because it gave the farmers enough time to travel to their polling location and get home on time.

Thank you - this was fascinating to read!

 

[American]

By Constitutional decree, US elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Why the ****? Seriously, why Tuesday?

I suspect it was done to prevent the average working man from participating.

What say you?

You suspect? Well isn't that just peachy. You got more than your suspicion to base that on? How about some scholarship on the Constitution, Federalist Papers or something similar?

 

[Grand Mal]

Let me give you some historical background here: I have studied all of the U.S elections and U.S presidents.

In the beginning, only wealthy(landowning/politically connected), white males could vote. It was the original intention for "sophisticated people" to vote. The 1824 presidential election between Adams, Jackson, Crawford, and Clay, were when the rules were slightly relaxed. You had to be white and male.

The other big thing is that elections didn't start on the first Tuesday of November. It used to be that elections occurred over a months time period (34 day window) anywhere between late October and early December. Each state decided when their elections took place. It was changed after the 1844 presidential election between James K. Polk and Henry Clay. The changed happened for two reasons: States influenced how other states would vote (Think how our primaries are today), and they needed to accommodate the farmers. Sunday was church day, so they couldn't work. Wednesday was market day. Tuesday was the compromised because it gave the farmers enough time to travel to their polling location and get home on time.

It varied state to state. Black men could vote in some places, unmarried or widowed women could vote in New Jersey and Georgia abolished the property requirement the year the Constitution was ratified.

1789

• The Constitution of the United States grants the states the power to set voting requirements. Generally, states limited this right to property-owning or tax-paying white males (about 6% of the population).[1] However, some states allowed also Black males to vote, and New Jersey also included unmarried and widowed women, regardless of color. Since married women were not allowed to own property, they could not meet the property qualifications.[2]
• Georgia removes property requirement for voting.[3]

Timeline of voting rights in the United States - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[American]

No.

It was merely the sign of the times.

200+ years ago, voting on Sunday was not possible because everyone was a religious bigot and it was the „Day of the Lord“ and you should rest on that day.

Later, with the immigration of Jews, Saturday and therefore Sabbat, was also not possible because you shall not vote on that day either.

Therefore, no weekend or Sunday voting like in most European countries.

Today, you can easily vote on all days though by requesting a mail ballot, so it’s not an issue any longer.

Requesting one is fairly easy here in Austria, so saying „I had no time to vote“ etc. is just a lame excuse.

But the outdated US constitution just shows how out of step it is with today’s needs and problems.

You are welcome to propose an amendment to your representative.

 

[Court Jester]

By Constitutional decree, US elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Why the ****? Seriously, why Tuesday?

I suspect it was done to prevent the average working man from participating.

What say you?

Or it was to allow people sufficient time to get their work done BEFORE the election day, allowing Monday as a full travel day if required following Sunday, which for many people was the only day of the week they didn't work at all.

MAYBE it was in consideration of working people to allow them a means to plan and travel, ever thing of that?

 

[NewfieMom]

Considering the “work week” and “weekend” as we know them didn’t exist back then, that wasn’t the reason.

However, given the property requirements for voting, they definitely did hate average working men and didn’t want them to vote.

I am not sure that the founders "hated" the average working man, but I think they despised him. I believe that, in general (if one can generalize about something like this), the founders felt that white, male landowners were the most trustworthy group to lead others. Since they wanted their ideas to be carried out, the founders put their faith in the group they trusted. This may be too generous an interpretation, but it seems this way to me today.

 

[NewfieMom]

You suspect? Well isn't that just peachy. You got more than your suspicion to base that on? How about some scholarship on the Constitution, Federalist Papers or something similar?

Boy, you are strict!

 

[TU Curmudgeon]

By Constitutional decree, US elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Why the ****? Seriously, why Tuesday?

I suspect it was done to prevent the average working man from participating.

What say you?

The correct answer was not provided.

The Founding Fathers had absolutely no intention of letting "regular people" vote and the "average working man" didn't have the right to vote on anything that made a difference at the federal level (only "The Right People" [read as "the Founding Fathers and those of their socioeconomic ilk"] were to have any say in the selection of the people who made up the Executive Branch, the Judicial Branch, and the Senate).

That being said, it really didn't matter what day of the week the voting was done since "The Right People" had the freedom to arrange their time to accommodate it.