Question 27 of 100 · 2008 civics test
In what month do we vote for President?
From the 100-question list, the version for applications filed before October 20, 2025.
On the 65/20 list: one of the 20 questions for applicants 65 or older with 20 years as permanent residents.
Accepted answer
- November
Why this is the answer
We vote for President in November. The Constitution never named an election day, and for decades states voted whenever they liked, which meant federal elections were spread across different dates. Congress fixed a single national day in 1845: the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The reasons were practical for a mostly rural country. By November the harvest was in, so farmers could leave their fields, and winter had not yet made the roads impassable. Tuesday was chosen so that voters had a full day after Sunday to travel to the polls. Memory hook: November, after the harvest and before the snow.