Why Tuesday? is a non-profit, non-partisan organization founded in 2005 to raise awareness about the broken state of America’s voting system and to find solutions to increase voter turnout and participation in elections. We provide a platform for national dialogue about the current voting system and the need for election reform by bringing attention to the problems with our current voting system and identifying solutions that can directly improve the voting process, increase registration and drive turnout. We aim to amplify the national debate around election reform by highlighting the problems with our voting system and the practical solutions we need.

Why Tuesday? was founded in 2005 to honor the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Rather than just celebrate this civil rights achievement, we acknowledged that there was still work to be done, and used the anniversary as a platform to spark a national discussion about voting in America. With great sadness, we take note that today, nearly half a century after the passage of the Voting Rights Act, the United States lags behind nearly all nations in voter turnout.

Honoring the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the other civil rights leaders who courageously fought for and won the right to vote for all Americans, Why Tuesday? emerged with a focused purpose: advance the job started by the civil rights leaders of the 1960s by sparking a national discussion about voting, and seek out national reforms which will result in an America where voting is seen not just as a right, but as a democratic imperative for all citizens.

We embarked on our work by asking a simple question that most elected officials cannot answer: why do we vote on Tuesday, a day smack in the middle of the work week? The short answer: our process of voting is based on an outdated 19th century agrarian model that long ago lost its relevance (click for long answer). Isn’t it time for an upgrade?