The short answer is that it's the law: In 1845, Congress voted to standardize Election Day as the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. (They included that "after the first Monday" part to make sure the election wouldn't be held on November 1, the date of the Catholic holy day known as All Saints Day.) Lawmakers chose Tuesday in order to give voters one travel day after the Sunday day of rest to get from their farms into town to vote.
It's a system that is hopelessly outdated today, argues Jacob Soboroff, executive director of a group called "Why Tuesday," which is trying to boost voter participation by moving Election Day to the weekend.
via cbsnews.com
