Why do we continue to say the election is on Nov whatever

[ashling]

That's a little anachronistic. Why not admit that the election begins sometime around the middle of Sept and ends when the last poll closes on November whatever.

comment if you wish.

[Enterstageleft]

1. you are right, but...

there is a old racing saying, "as the deadline goes toward zero, the effort goes to infinity".

[brooklynite]

2. US Constitution: Article 2, Section 2

The Congress may determine the Time of chusing [sic] the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes; which Day shall be the same throughout the United States.

Whether or not there's early voting or late tallying, the Constitution and US Code recognizes AN Election Day.

[ashling]

5. It says

Time of chusing [sic] the Electors

,

andthe Day on which

they (the electors)

shall give their Votes

it refers to the electoral college

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. The early voting and the absentee voting are relatively recent.

I was an airline ticket agent at National Airport in Washington, DC, from 1969 to 1979. And during that decade, Election Days had a very strong impact on travel. There was no advance voting, and most states required some sort of "valid" excuse to get an absentee ballot. So the people who commuted for their jobs, either didn't commute on Monday, or actually went to wherever just for Monday, flying home that night so they could vote, and then flying back out either Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning.

By the end of the decade things started to change. I got married in October, 1980, and we left for Europe on our honeymoon a week or so later. Virginia, where we lived, had set up what today we'd call early voting, but at the time they called it absentee voting. We showed up at the county court house, cast our ballots, and went off on our honeymoon.

I do find it bizarre and disenfranchising that some states still have no early voting.

[Roland99]

4. It's when results start to be announced

[ashling]

6. Eastern Time