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I have never in my entire life waited longer than five minutes to vote in any election in a municipal, provincial or federal election. That includes early votin

I have never in my entire life waited longer than five minutes to vote in any election in a municipal, provincial or federal election. That includes early voting or election day voting. I walk over to a school near my house (or community center, or church) and vote. I can't understand how anyone in the US accepts the status quo of their terrible and flawed election system. Make it a terrible experience, especially in lower income and minority communities, and you don't really have to worry about courting those people since many won't be willing, or able to vote.

dawnerd 6y ago
I don’t spent more than five minutes voting either, but that’s only because Oregon figures it out and does statewide mail in ballots and automatic registration. It’s stilly the other states are so far behind.
- LiquidSky 6y ago
  It's not about being "far behind", these delays are intentionally engineered where they're happening.
  - dawnerd 6y ago
    Yes, some of these are very obviously intentional. But California just now getting on the mail in ballots train does put them far behind. Some 20+ years behind. That’s pretty far if you ask me. (Yes I know they’ve had absentee, I used to vote that way).
ohsonice 6y ago
How do you suggest that people in these lower income communities stop "accepting" this status quo?
LiquidSky 6y ago
>I can't understand how anyone in the US accepts the status quo of their terrible and flawed election system. Your next paragraph shows you understood all too well. People support things like long voting lines because it suppresses the votes of other people they don't think should be voting at all.
hexadec 6y ago
What is the alternative to acceptance? My state has closed hundreds of polling places over the past decade or so. Mostly in poor area, college towns, or cities. What should we do if our option for making our voices heard are removed? I hope we just make voting compulsory and a national holiday, but I won't hold my breath.
- Jtsummers 6y ago
  NC? GA? Another state that was (prior to 2013) limited in what it could do by the VRA?
  - hexadec 6y ago
    NC
    - Jtsummers 6y ago
      I moved out of there just before all that hit, and straight to GA where I got to see their version of it. Now I'm in CO, and my ballot showed up over the weekend. I'll fill it out tonight and submit it by this weekend. Much smoother experience. It's pleasant being somewhere that doesn't seem to be actively disenfranchising its residents.
bpt3 6y ago
Your experience is the norm for almost all Americans as well, on election day (or with normal levels of demand for early voting). Unfortunately, it's not the norm for everyone, but the lines described in this article are caused by an enormous increase in demand for early voting, not the other more serious issues you're attributing them to. Basically, people voting now are choosing to stand in these long lines to vote.

dawnerd 6y ago

I don’t spent more than five minutes voting either, but that’s only because Oregon figures it out and does statewide mail in ballots and automatic registration. It’s stilly the other states are so far behind.

LiquidSky 6y ago
It's not about being "far behind", these delays are intentionally engineered where they're happening.
- dawnerd 6y ago
  Yes, some of these are very obviously intentional. But California just now getting on the mail in ballots train does put them far behind. Some 20+ years behind. That’s pretty far if you ask me. (Yes I know they’ve had absentee, I used to vote that way).

ohsonice 6y ago

How do you suggest that people in these lower income communities stop "accepting" this status quo?

LiquidSky 6y ago

>I can't understand how anyone in the US accepts the status quo of their terrible and flawed election system. Your next paragraph shows you understood all too well. People support things like long voting lines because it suppresses the votes of other people they don't think should be voting at all.

hexadec 6y ago

What is the alternative to acceptance? My state has closed hundreds of polling places over the past decade or so. Mostly in poor area, college towns, or cities. What should we do if our option for making our voices heard are removed? I hope we just make voting compulsory and a national holiday, but I won't hold my breath.

Jtsummers 6y ago
NC? GA? Another state that was (prior to 2013) limited in what it could do by the VRA?
- hexadec 6y ago
  NC
  - Jtsummers 6y ago
    I moved out of there just before all that hit, and straight to GA where I got to see their version of it. Now I'm in CO, and my ballot showed up over the weekend. I'll fill it out tonight and submit it by this weekend. Much smoother experience. It's pleasant being somewhere that doesn't seem to be actively disenfranchising its residents.

bpt3 6y ago

Your experience is the norm for almost all Americans as well, on election day (or with normal levels of demand for early voting). Unfortunately, it's not the norm for everyone, but the lines described in this article are caused by an enormous increase in demand for early voting, not the other more serious issues you're attributing them to. Basically, people voting now are choosing to stand in these long lines to vote.