Election Day in the United States is the day set by law for the selection of public officials by popular ballot. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For federal offices, it occurs on the Tuesday following the first Monday of November (the Tuesday between November 2 and November 8, inclusively). Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000 Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration Presidential elections are held in years divisible by 4. Elections to the House of Representatives and the Senate are held in years divisible by 2. Many state and local government offices are also elected on Election Day as a matter of convenience and cost saving. However, a handful of states hold elections for state offices during odd numbered, off years; this varies according to state and local laws.

In Federal elections, all members of the House of Representatives are elected for two-year terms together with one-third of the Senate for six-year terms. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives In years with a presidential election, electors for President and Vice-president are also chosen according to the method determined by each state. The Electoral College consists of 538 popularly elected representatives who formally select the President and Vice President of the United States.

Congress has mandated a uniform date for Presidential (3 U.S.C. § 1) and Congressional (2 U.S.C. § 1 and 2 U.S.C. § 7) elections, though early voting is nonetheless authorized in many states. Title 3 of the United States Code outlines the role of the President of the United States in the United States Code. Title 2 of the United States Code outlines the role of Congress in the United States Code. Title 2 of the United States Code outlines the role of Congress in the United States Code. Early voting, is the process which voters can cast their vote on a single or series of days prior to an election In Oregon, where all elections are vote-by-mail, all ballots must be received by a set time on Election Day, as is common with absentee ballots in most states (except overseas military ballots which receive more time by Federal law). Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Postal voting describes the method of voting in an election whereby ballot papers are distributed and/or returned by post to electors in contrast to electors voting in person at a An absentee ballot is a Vote cast by someone who is unable or unwilling to attend the official Polling station. In the state of Washington, where most counties are vote-by-mail (and in the others most votes are cast by mail as permanent absentee ballots), ballots need only be postmarked by Election Day. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.

Election Day is a legal holiday in some states, including Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and West Virginia. A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government Delaware ( is a state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the The Commonwealth of Kentucky ( is a state located in the East Central United States of America. Montana ( is a state in the Western United States. One-third of the state in the western part contains numerous mountain ranges (approximately 77 named of the northern New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads West Virginia ( is a state in the Appalachian Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Some other states have laws that allow workers to take time off from employment without reprisal, and often without loss in pay. California law simply states employees must be allowed to vote, but since voting can be done before or after working hours no time off or pay is offered by many employers. Democratic Representative John Conyers of Michigan recently introduced a bill in the House of Representatives that would make Election Day a national holiday, Democracy Day. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. John Conyers Jr (born May 16, 1929) is a member of the United States House of Representatives representing Michigan's 14th congressional district Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. Lists of holidays The words holiday or vacation have related meanings in different English-speaking countries and continents but will usually refer to one of Democracy Day is the tentative name of a proposed Federal holiday in the United States.

Logistics

There are tens of thousands of voting precincts in the United States, each of which must be supplied and staffed with election judges on Election Day, usually a workday in most of the country. A precinct is a space enclosed by the walls or other boundaries of a particular place or building or by an arbitrary and imaginary line drawn around it In the United States an election judge (called an elections inspector, elections officer or poll worker in some U

Objections

Many social activists oppose this date, believing that it decreases voter turnout, since it is part of the workweek. Activism, in a general sense can be described as intentional action to bring about social or political change Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a Ballot in an Election. Many advocate making election day a federal holiday or allowing voters to cast their ballots over two or more days. In the United States, a federal holiday is a Holiday recognized by the United States Government. The United Auto Workers union has negotiated making Election Day a holiday for its workers at the U. Template talkInfobox Union for usage -->The United Automobile Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America International S. domestic auto manufacturers.

In response to this, many states have implemented early voting, which allows the voters to cast ballots, in many cases up to two weeks early. Early voting, is the process which voters can cast their vote on a single or series of days prior to an election Also, all states have some kind of absentee ballot system. An absentee ballot is a Vote cast by someone who is unable or unwilling to attend the official Polling station. The state of Oregon, for example, performs all major elections through mail-in ballots that are sent to voters several weeks before Election Day. Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Postal voting describes the method of voting in an election whereby ballot papers are distributed and/or returned by post to electors in contrast to electors voting in person at a Some companies will let their employees come in late or leave early on Election Day to allow them an opportunity to get to their precinct and vote.

Federal elections

Elective offices of the U. S. government are filled by Election Day balloting, for terms starting in January of the following year, specifically:

• in every even-numbered year,
  • for all seats in the United States House of Representatives;
  • for approximately 1/3 of United States Senate seats;
• additionally, every four years,
  • for the President and Vice-President. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death

Local elections

Elective offices of municipalities, counties (in most states), and other local entities (such as school boards and other special-purpose districts) have their elections subject to rules of their state, and in some states, they vary according to choices of the jurisdiction in question. For instance, in Connecticut, all towns, cities, and boroughs hold elections in every odd-numbered year, but as of 2004, 16 have them on the first Monday in May, while the other 153 are on Election Day. Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. In Massachusetts, the 50 cities are required to hold their elections on Election Day, but the 301 towns may choose any date, and most have traditionally held their elections in early spring, after the last snowfall. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States.

References

See also

• Democracy Day
• Election
• U.S. presidential election
• U.S. state holiday
• Holidays of the United States
• U.S. General Election, 2005
• U.S. General Election, 2006
• U.S. General Election, 2007
• Midterm elections
• Off-year elections
• Inauguration Day
• Primary Election