The fact that Election Day falls on a Tuesday has become controversial in recent decades, as many people might be unable to vote because they have to work.

It is a public holiday in some states, including Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, West Virginia, as well as the territory of the Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico.

California requires that employees otherwise unable to vote must be allowed two hours off with pay, at the beginning or end of a shift.

[2] Other movements in the IT and automotive industries encourage employers to voluntarily give their employees paid time off on Election Day.

By 1792, federal law permitted each state legislature to choose presidential electors any time within a 34-day period[3] before the first Wednesday in December.

Tuesday was chosen as Election Day so that voters could attend church on Sunday, travel to the polling location, usually in the county seat, on Monday, and vote before Wednesday, which was usually when farmers would sell their produce at the market.

[citation needed] Development of the Morse electric telegraph, funded by Congress in 1843 and successfully tested in 1844, was a technological change that clearly augured an imminent future of instant communication nationwide.

Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, and the territory of Puerto Rico have declared Election Day a civic holiday.

[13] In April 2020, the Governor of Virginia Ralph Northam signed legislation that established Election Day as a holiday.

The purpose of the holiday was to increase voter turnout by giving citizens more time to vote, as well as to allow for the opening of more polling stations with more workers while raising awareness of the importance of voting and civic participation.

[17][18] Most states allow early voting, letting voters cast their ballots before Election Day.

[19] Unconditional permanent absentee voting is allowed in seven states and in D.C.[19] In Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah and Washington, all major elections are by postal voting with ballot papers sent to voters several weeks before Election Day.

[23] Some states, like Texas, give overseas and military voters extra time to mail in their ballots.

[24] Louisiana, to date, is the only U.S. state to hold de facto general elections on a Saturday.