3 November—Seven decades ago when I was a callow junior in high school, I heard some seniors talking about erections among themselves. I didn’t know what erections were, so not wanting to show my ignorance to the big boys I asked the first teacher I saw what an erection was. That’s when I learned that an erection was when the Japanese chose a plesident. I’ve since learned that rather than a plesident the Japanese actually have a plime minister, but he or she isn’t chosen by dilect erection.

Back in the U.S.A., then, Article I of the Constitution deals with elections in the same less-than-specific (but invariably for good reason) way it treats most matters of importance. On elections, it says: “The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States . . .” and “The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators.”

Article II says: “The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years . . . together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term. . . .”

Lest you forget, in the early days of the republic the presidential candidate who won the most electoral votes became president and the runner-up became vice president; it wasn’t until the Twelfth Amendment was ratified in 1803 that the prez and veep appeared on ballots as running mates. And it wasn’t until the Seventeenth Amendment was ratified in 1913 that U.S. senators were elected directly by state voters rather than legislatures.

And we’re still stuck with the outdated and counter-democratic Electoral College. And probably will be forever.

Lest you think that early voting is a recent stratagem devised by pols hoping to attract uninformed and generally unmotivated voters, until 1845—when Congress standardized the day for elections for federal elective offices as the first Tuesday following the first Monday of November—the individual states could hold federal elections any time in a 34-day window before the first Wednesday in November.

Now, of course, the early voting window closes on the first Tuesday following the first Monday of November—except for mailed-in absentee ballots—and is a bit shorter in most states. But, believe it or not, it’s even longer in a few states—like an absolutely ludicrous 45 days in Vermont, as well as over 40 days for in-person absentee voting in several other states.

But at least voting early offers greater opportunity to vote often . . .