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Thanks for this! "Not the norm" is a bit of an over-interpretation though. That data shows that in many states such lines were indeed the norm until very recent

Thanks for this! "Not the norm" is a bit of an over-interpretation though. That data shows that in many states such lines were indeed the norm until very recent reforms (as in, there is only one post-reform data point to go on). And that the reforms didn't help non-white voters to the same extent that they did white voters.

bpt3 6y ago
The data shows that hours-long waits are not and haven't been the norm, as I stated. There is data on wait times from 4 elections in the article, none of which supports a claim that the wait times shown in the BBC article are at all normal. It's obvious that you're looking to draw a very specific conclusion regardless of the data presented, so best of luck with that.
- tom_mellior 6y ago
  "Not the norm" is a cop-out. Is it the average person's experience? No, and nobody says that it is. The BBC article doesn't say that the average voter needs to wait for hours. But many voters do.
  - bpt3 6y ago
    It's not a cop-out, it's a summary of the facts, as opposed to your claims that "many" voters wait in lines like the ones shown in the article and the random picture you found. Like many of the individuals quoted in the BBC article, you know nothing about how voting in the US works and don't understand why people are choosing to stand in these lines right now, weeks before the actual election day and before all early voting locations are even open in many areas, but are very eager to make condescending comments. Thanks for confirming my suspicion that you have no interest in a discussion about anything other than your inaccurate, preconceived notions.
    - tom_mellior 6y ago
      It's you who is being condescending. Anyway, we both seem to agree that people -- an unknown number, and certainly not the average voter -- stand in lines for hours to vote. I acknowledge that you think it's significant that they are choosing to do so.

bpt3 6y ago

The data shows that hours-long waits are not and haven't been the norm, as I stated. There is data on wait times from 4 elections in the article, none of which supports a claim that the wait times shown in the BBC article are at all normal. It's obvious that you're looking to draw a very specific conclusion regardless of the data presented, so best of luck with that.

tom_mellior 6y ago
"Not the norm" is a cop-out. Is it the average person's experience? No, and nobody says that it is. The BBC article doesn't say that the average voter needs to wait for hours. But many voters do.
- bpt3 6y ago
  It's not a cop-out, it's a summary of the facts, as opposed to your claims that "many" voters wait in lines like the ones shown in the article and the random picture you found. Like many of the individuals quoted in the BBC article, you know nothing about how voting in the US works and don't understand why people are choosing to stand in these lines right now, weeks before the actual election day and before all early voting locations are even open in many areas, but are very eager to make condescending comments. Thanks for confirming my suspicion that you have no interest in a discussion about anything other than your inaccurate, preconceived notions.
  - tom_mellior 6y ago
    It's you who is being condescending. Anyway, we both seem to agree that people -- an unknown number, and certainly not the average voter -- stand in lines for hours to vote. I acknowledge that you think it's significant that they are choosing to do so.