‘Last Week Tonight’ Questions Why Tuesday Voting Is Still A Thing

“Last Week Tonight” says two things are for certain in the United States.

The first, according to John Oliver’s show announcer in a new segment, is that “elections for national office are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.”

The second? “Every time it happens, we’re going to ask, ‘Why is that?’”

It’s actually all to do with an 1845 law.

But, as it was passed for the “very 1845 reason” of rural residents having to travel long distances on the Monday to reach the polls to cast their vote the following day, the show now asks why it can’t be changed.

With Tuesday voting sometimes proving problematic for people who work, the show suggests expanding early voting or moving Election Day to a weekend to increase turnout.

“Or keep it where it is and declare it a national holiday like it is in Puerto Rico, where their turnout is consistently higher than the 50 states,” the announcer adds.

Check it out in the clip above.