Photo Credit: wikidates.org
Have you ever wondered why we vote on the first Tuesday after a Monday in November?
In 1845, when congress set a uniform date for election day, the United States was primarily an agrarian society and voting occurred in county seats. Generally a full day of travel time was necessary to vote and, so as not to interfere with the Sabbath or market day (which was Wednesday in many towns), Tuesday was chosen. November was chosen since the harvest was usually over and it was before the winter weather was at its worst.
It’s not the first Tuesday in November, because Congress didn’t want election day to fall on November 1. All Saints Day is November 1 is and many companies did their books on the 1st of the month and they didn’t want any influence from a good or bad economic month to impact the election.
Here’s the week at a glance
at the Nyack Library.
Monday
- Play and Learn in Italian/Gioca e Impara in Italiano, 11:30a
- FREE Assistance with NYS Health Insurance Programs, 5p
Tuesday
- General Election Polling Site, 5:30a
- Cuentos, Canciones y Artesania, 1p
Wednesday
- Mother Goose Time, 10:30a
- Fiction Book Discussion Group, 7p
Thursday
- Little Shanti Yoga, Registration required, 1:30p
- Non-fiction Book Club, 2p
- Perspective Class, Registration required, 7p
Friday
Toddler Time, 11a
Saturday
Magic: The Gathering Independent Play, Registration required, 1p
Sunday
Study Sundays, 12p
Since most people are no longer farmers, and it is much easier to get to your polling place, and given this country’s historically low voter turnout, there are groups such as Why Tuesday? who are pushing to move Election Day to the weekend. There is also proposed legislation to establish a new federal holiday, Democracy Day, to be the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of every even-numbered year.
Polls will be open in New York State from 6a to 9p on Tues Nov 3, 2015. If you don’t know where your polling place is, you can look it up at voter lookup.elections.state.ny.us.
Perspective Class, Thurs at 7p
One-point perspective drawing includes a single vanishing point on the horizon line while two-point perspective has two separate vanishing points. Both create the illusion of linear space. Students in this class will learn how to create each and then use pencil and ink to create their own one or two point perspective drawings. Perspective drawing is perfect for landscape or architectural artists as well as for those interested in graphics and op-art. Come in with your own visual ideas and learn how to translate them into realistic drawings with foreshortening and 3-dimensional techniques. Presented by Cayla Tangney, Certified Art Teacher, currently teaching at Rockland Center for the Arts. Registration is required.
Have a question or a fun fact you want to know? We’re looking for suggestions for our weekly Did You Know fact. Write to info@NyackNewsAndViews with your suggestions.
Did You Know comes to you each Monday on NyackNewAndViews, sponsored by the Nyack Library.
