- By Kamal Kumar
- Fri, 01 Nov 2024 01:11 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The United States, the world's oldest and one of the most vibrant democracies on the planet, elect its Presidents in November. However, they take charge of the country in the month of January. This lengthy transition period is unique to the American system and has been followed for over 89 years. However, the 11-week duration is still shorter than the originally propounded 4-month transition period by the US Constitution.
US Polls History
The federal elections in the United States are held every four years on the first Tuesday of November. Though the states initially had different election days, in 1845, a law was brought to establish a common election day for the central polling.
Why November Was Chosen As Presidential Polls Month
Back in the 19th century, when the US was predominantly an agriculturist country, the time of November was considered somewhat advantageous to draw the large population of farmers to the polling stations.
By November's first week, crops used to be harvested, and the weather remained good for travel. To choose Tuesday as the voting day, many factors were considered. As Sunday was a day for churchgoers and Wednesday for the local farm markets, Tuesday was deemed a good day for the polling.
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Reaching polling places often meant lengthy travel, especially for those in rural areas where modern transportation was scarce, sometimes taking up to a full day. With Sundays reserved and Wednesdays unavailable, both Mondays and Thursdays were ruled out as options for election day. This left Tuesday as the most practical choice.
Why Incoming US President Is Inaugurated In January
There are several factors which prompted the US constitution makers to consider a long period of power transition for the transfer of power from the office-bearing President to an elected successor. One was the need for a seamless transfer of power. After the polls, the president-elect and his team are required to prepare themselves for the upcoming responsibility. They prepare policies, and governance frameworks and chalk out priorities in these 11 weeks.
Another reason possibly arises due to the electoral college system, unlike in countries such as India, where a parliamentary system is in place, the US chooses its President through an electoral college system, thereby increasing the counting time manifolds.
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Although the delay prevents the president-elect from assuming office immediately, the winner is granted access to transition funding and receives crucial briefings from the outgoing administration to ensure a seamless handover of power.