This is an important year in the U.S., an election year.

An election is an event that allows people of a country, state, or city to officially choose their government officials.

This year is especially important because it is a year for selecting our country’s president, what we call a presidential election year.

Presidential elections occur every four years in the United States.

The federal or national election day is always the first Tuesday of November, so this year it will be November 3rd.

You probably already know that the two candidates are the incumbent (current; serving) President Donald Trump, and former Vice President Joe Biden.

But this year, the election will be tricky (difficult because of possible problems) because of the coronavirus.

Normally, most people vote at a polling place, the temporary places where people can go to get their ballots (official forms for voting) and to cast their vote (make their selections). Many people will probably still do this.

But because of the coronavirus, lots of people will be voting by mail. They will receive their ballots in the mail, vote at home, and mail in their ballots so they can be counted (recorded).

Voting by mail is not new. In past elections, every state has had absentee ballots.

To be absent means to not be where someone is expected or is supposed to be, so an absentee ballot is for a person who is not at the polling place to vote.

In some states, such as California, anyone can request an absentee ballot. For many years now, I’ve voted with an absentee ballot because it is easier and more convenient.

I normally get my ballot in the mail about one month before the election and mail it back by election day.

In other states, to get an absentee ballot, you have typically needed an excuse (a reason) that prevents (not allows) you from going to a polling place, including:

• an illness, injury (being hurt), or a disability (permanent physical or mental issue that limits your movement or activities);
• being away from home on election day because of work or vacation; or
• studying at college in another state.

This year, because of COVID-19, every state will offer voting by mail. This has caused a lot of concern (worry).

First, some people worry that voting by mail may be less secure (safe) and allow for more voter fraud (cheating).

In addition to absentee ballots, some states (such as California) for the first time are sending ballots to everyone on their voter rolls (lists of registered voters), even if the voter has not requested a ballot.

Some fear that these voter rolls may not be up-to-date (have the latest information) or accurate.

Second, mail service has been less reliable in the past five months than it was before the COVID crisis. This may be because of the coronavirus, changes by the leaders of the post office, or both.

Whatever the reason, there is worry that not all ballots will arrive at the voter’s home or that completed ballots may not arrive back to be counted in time.

Third, the number of mailed ballots this year will be much higher than in past elections, meaning it may take some states days or even weeks to count all the paper ballots.

Only time will tell (We will only know later) whether these concerns are warranted (should really have worried us).

No matter what, for good or ill (because of good or bad reasons), this will be a memorable (difficult to forget) election year!

~Jeff

P.S. Learn more about American elections and politics in Daily English 733 – Voting in an Election, Daily English 1230 – Expressing Disapproval of Elected Officials, and Cultural English 161 (about registering to vote).

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What Will I Learn in My Free Lesson?

Here is just a small part of what you’re going to learn in this free lesson:

• What “take a rain check” means and how to use it in a conversation . . .
• The difference between a “recluse” and a “busybody” . . .
• Why “to fend OFF” means something from “to fend FOR” . . .
• What it means to “take a rain check,” “keep to yourself,” and “to appoint (someone)” . . .
• What a social secretary is . . .
• The best way to use “to sort out” and “to turn down” . . .
• How to use phrasal verbs like “to settle in” and “to settle down” (they’re not the same!) . . .

Yesterday was Labor Day in the United States. Labor Day is a federal (national) holiday that honors (shows respect to or celebrates) workers.

“Labor” is another word for work, especially hard, physical work.

How did Labor Day get started in the U.S.?

In 1882, members of the New York Central Labor Union thought it was a good idea to have a day celebrating workers. (A union is an organized group of workers that is formed to protect their rights and interests.)

Since there were four long months between the national holidays for Independence Day (July 4th) and Thanksgiving (last Thursday in November), the union decided to create a holiday in between.

The first Labor Day was on September 5, 1882. It was celebrated with a parade (people walking or marching together down a street, usually with music, with a lot of people watching).

New York’s Labor Day celebration caught on (became popular). Workers in other states began celebrating it.

Oregon was the first state to make it a legal holiday and many states followed (did the same). In 1894, the U.S. Congress (national lawmaking group) passed a law making Labor Day a national holiday.

Labor Day is now celebrated on the first Monday in September.

For many decades (groups of 10 years), workers saw Labor Day as an opportunity to raise awareness (get attention) for better working conditions and wages (pay for work).

Nowadays (Now), Labor Day is associated less with union activities and more with relaxing. Americans often spend the day having barbecues (cooking outdoors over a fire), family picnics (eating outdoors, usually sitting on the ground), or playing or watching sports, like the world’s greatest sport, baseball.

Celebrating Labor Day myself yesterday, I was reminded of two common idioms that include the word “labor.”

“Labor of Love”

A “labor of love” is something you do because you enjoy doing it, not because you can earn money from it or get some other benefit.

Maybe you are working on your old car to restore (return) it to its original condition. You do that not because you need a car to drive or you want to sell it, but because it is interesting and enjoyable work. You love it!

That’s how ESLPod.com began. I started ESL Podcast in 2005 as a labor of love and it continues to give me a lot of joy talking to myself.

“Fruits of (one’s) Labor”

The “fruits of (one’s) labor” refers to the benefits or rewards you get as a result of your work.

If you start a business and work hard at it and it becomes successful, you can enjoy the fruits of your labor, including the money and satisfaction that you’ve gained.

And for me, the fruits of my labor on ESLPod.com is knowing that we’re helping people all around the world to learn English – and to sound just like me.

~Jeff

P.S. Check out (take a look at) these ESLPod Unlimited English lessons related to labor:

Labor Day:
Cultural English 49

Unions:
Daily English 880 – Forming a Union

Workers’ Rights:
Daily English 252 – A Workers Strike

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Just fill out the form below and we’ll send a FREE lesson to try!

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What Will I Learn in My Free Lesson?

Here is just a small part of what you’re going to learn in this free lesson:

• What “take a rain check” means and how to use it in a conversation . . .
• The difference between a “recluse” and a “busybody” . . .
• Why “to fend OFF” means something from “to fend FOR” . . .
• What it means to “take a rain check,” “keep to yourself,” and “to appoint (someone)” . . .
• What a social secretary is . . .
• The best way to use “to sort out” and “to turn down” . . .
• How to use phrasal verbs like “to settle in” and “to settle down” (they’re not the same!) . . .

Many Americans are invested in (have money in) the stock market, especially for their retirement (when they stop working).

A stock is part-ownership in a company. A stock market is a place where you can buy and sell stocks.

Companies that want to raise (collect; bring together) money can offer part ownership in their company by selling shares (individual pieces of) of stock.

In the past several months, the stock market in the U.S. has been very volatile (unpredictable; difficult to know what will happen next).

When the stock market is doing poorly, stock traders call that a “bear market.” (A bear is a large animal that walks on two or four legs and has thick fur (hair).)

There are other commonly-used terms to talk about a falling (losing money) market, including “downturn,” “plunge/dive,” and “crash.”

A downturn is a slow drop or decline in the economy (the wealth or resources of a country).

For example: “The current housing market downturn is making homes more affordable (easier to buy).”

When stock prices plunge or take a dive, they drop a lot. Both “plunge” and “take a dive” are actually swimming expressions.

A “plunge” is any quick drop into the water, while a “dive” is quick jump head first into the water, usually with your arms raised above your head.

So we could say, “The tech company’s stock plunged/took a dive when the company announced its poor sales figures (numbers).”

But when stock market prices drop very suddenly and by a lot, that’s called a crash.

The most famous stock market crash in the U.S. was in 1929 and it led to the Great Depression (see Cultural English 327).

When the stock market is doing well, stock traders call that a “bull market.” (A bull is a male cow, usually with horns.)

You can also use the terms “uptick,” “rally,” and “boom” to describe the market when it’s doing well.

If stock prices go up a little bit, we say that there is an “uptick in prices” or an “uptick in the market.”

When prices go up quickly and by a lot, we would call that a “rally.” Usually, rallies last a short time: minutes, hours, or even a few days.

But when rallies last a long time, we call that a stock market “boom.”

Note that we can have “boom” in other parts of the economy, too. When an individual company is experiencing a boom, it means that their sales are high, they are selling a lot of their product or services.

Even a country can have a boom, meaning that many sectors or areas of a country’s economy are doing very well.

No one knows where the current volatile stock market is headed (where it will go), so if you have money in the stock market, get ready for a wild ride (unpredictable journey with a lot of ups and downs)!

~Jeff

P.S. For more information on stock markets, check out some of our Daily English lessons as part of our Unlimited English Membership:

Daily English 276 – The Stock Market

Daily English 1048 – Launching an Initial Public Offering

Cultural English 224 – NY Stock Exchange

P.P.S. Like this short English lesson? Get a FREE sample lesson (no money needed) – SIGN UP BELOW!

Just fill out the form below and we’ll send a FREE lesson to try!

We hate spam, too! We will never sell, rent, or give your information to anyone – ever!

What Will I Learn in My Free Lesson?

Here is just a small part of what you’re going to learn in this free lesson:

• What “take a rain check” means and how to use it in a conversation . . .
• The difference between a “recluse” and a “busybody” . . .
• Why “to fend OFF” means something from “to fend FOR” . . .
• What it means to “take a rain check,” “keep to yourself,” and “to appoint (someone)” . . .
• What a social secretary is . . .
• The best way to use “to sort out” and “to turn down” . . .
• How to use phrasal verbs like “to settle in” and “to settle down” (they’re not the same!) . . .

August 26 is the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in the United States.

Don’t be confused by the term “suffrage.” It has nothing to do with “suffering.”

Suffrage means the right to vote in a public election.

On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution (the highest law in the United States), making official (legal) the right for women to vote. (An amendment is an addition to a legal document.)

Although there was no federal (national) law on women’s suffrage before 1920, some individual states gave women full or partial (some) voting rights. That’s because U.S. national elections are largely controlled by individual states.

By 1919, 15 states had given women full (complete) voting rights, with 13 in western states or territories (parts of a country before it becomes a state).

Wyoming, for example, had full women’s suffrage by 1870. There was a good reason for this policy (rule). Leaders in Wyoming hoped to attract (make it more appealing for) more women to move there.

In those days, the western state of Wyoming was a place with very few people, and most of those were men, so women were sorely (badly) needed!

In other parts of the country, women could vote for local (their own town/city) or state elections, but could not vote for national leaders, such as the President of the United States and member of Congress (national elected officials).

But on August 26, 1920, that changed. That didn’t mean, however, that all Americans could vote.

African Americans and other minorities were still barred (not allowed) from voting in many states due to (because of) a series of other laws. (I discuss these laws in Cultural English 298.)

It wasn’t until 45 years later, with the 1965 Voting Rights Act, that all Americans citizens’ (people officially belonging to a country) ability to vote was protected (defended) by the federal government.

Many brave American women tried to get the vote long before 1920, most famously Susan B. Anthony, whom we discussed in our Cultural English 233.

Anthony was arrested (put in prison) for her efforts. Interestingly, last week President Trump officially pardoned (legally forgave) her for her “crime,” 114 years after her death.

As we sometimes say, “Better late than never!” (better to do it late than not at all).

~Jeff

P.S. Like this short English lesson? Get a FREE sample lesson (no money needed) – SIGN UP BELOW!

Just fill out the form below and we’ll send a FREE lesson to try!

We hate spam, too! We will never sell, rent, or give your information to anyone – ever!

What Will I Learn in My Free Lesson?

Here is just a small part of what you’re going to learn in this free lesson:

• What “take a rain check” means and how to use it in a conversation . . .
• The difference between a “recluse” and a “busybody” . . .
• Why “to fend OFF” means something from “to fend FOR” . . .
• What it means to “take a rain check,” “keep to yourself,” and “to appoint (someone)” . . .
• What a social secretary is . . .
• The best way to use “to sort out” and “to turn down” . . .
• How to use phrasal verbs like “to settle in” and “to settle down” (they’re not the same!) . . .