Quote:
Originally Posted by kraznyi_oktjabr
Thank you! Why this complex system? Is it merely relic of 18th century or is there still some functional reasoning behind it?
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its a relic of the 18th century. In an age when the horse was the fastest means of transport and letters the only means of communication, you needed a system that would have the time required to work, considering also how big the U.S.A. was, even in 1787.
The dates were also, as I recall, chosen so has not to interfere with farm work. Since almost all voters lived on farms, they had to be able to assemble at a convenient time. Early November was a time after most crops had been harvested and before winter set in.