vivote.gov Voting Trivia : Election Systems of Virgin Islands

Organisation : Election Systems of Virgin Islands
Facility : Voting Trivia
Country : Virgin Islands
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Voting Trivia :

Election Day- Why We Vote When We Vote?
Of course, every day is a good day to exercise our freedom, but why do we always vote on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November?

Related : Election Systems Virgin Islands Voters Rights & Responsibilities : www.electionin.org/325.html

Related : Election Systems of Virgin Islands Since 1845, this has been the day designated for holding U.S. presidential and congressional elections.

Why in November? :
Most Americans made their living from agriculture in 1845 and Congress felt that November was the most convenient month for farmers and citizens living in rural areas to get to the polls. Preparing fields and planting crops consumed lots of the public’s time in the spring and summer months.

But by early November, the harvest was over in most areas, and the weather was still mild and dry enough to allow travel over the dirt and rock roads of the day.

Why on Tuesday? :
In 1845, and for many years after that, only the county seats had polling places. For many voters, this meant at least an overnight trip on horseback or buggy. If the election were held on Monday, people would have to leave on Sunday, which in 1845, was reserved for church.

Why the first Tuesday after the first Monday? :
Congress wanted to make sure the election never fell on the first of November. November 1st is a Holy Day of Obligation in the Roman Catholic Church (All Saints Day). In addition, many businesses tallied their sales and expenses and did their books for the previous month on the first of each month.

Congress feared that an unusually good or bad economic month might influence the vote if it were held on the 1st.

But, that was then and this is now true, most of us are no longer farmers, and while some citizens still ride a horse to vote, travel to the polls is far simpler than in 1845. But is there, even now, a single “better” day to hold a national election than the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November?

School is back in session and most summer vacations are over. The closest national holiday — Thanksgiving — is still almost a month away, and you don’t have to buy anybody a gift.

But the runaway best all-time reason for holding the election in early November is one Congress never even considered in 1845. It’s far enough from April 15 that we have forgotten about the last tax-day and haven’t started worrying about the next one.

Persons Permitted in the Voting Room :
** Members of the District Boards of Elections and Management staff.
** The Election Official and related personnel.
** Authorized Poll Watchers as provided by law.
** Persons voting or waiting to vote, or persons permitted to provide the voter assistance.
** Other persons necessary to the conduct of the election as determined by unanimous consent of the Judges and Inspector.

Prohibitions : Fraud & Misrepresentation
** Persons shall not give or offer to give any elector any money or thing of value as compensation, inducement, or reward for registering to vote, not registering to vote, for voting or not voting, or for voting in a particular manner.
** Persons shall not fake a physical disability in order to have persons of their choice provide them assistance in voting.
** Election Officers shall not attempt to influence, persuade, intimidate, bribe or coerce any elector in any manner that would affect for whom the elector votes.
** No person shall attempt to vote in the name of another person whether the other person is living, dead or fictitious.
** No person shall vote or attempt to vote more than once in any election.
** No person shall fraudulently cast any ballot.
** Election Officers shall not make any false entries on election records.
** No person shall change or alter another person’s ballot, or otherwise defraud an elector of his/her vote.
** No person shall steal, destroy or hide any registration or election