4 ms·

A simple hack used elsewhere is to simply open for voting in select locations a few weeks earlier. If 1/4 or a 1/2 of voters already voted the queues will be mu

A simple hack used elsewhere is to simply open for voting in select locations a few weeks earlier. If 1/4 or a 1/2 of voters already voted the queues will be much smaller. Another simple hack is to ensure it’s a Sunday so more people can vote throughout the day and don’t need to vote outside of work hours. Or let’s vote everyone all at once on a Tuesday and try to solve the queue problem with…math.

reidjs 3y ago
Or better yet, have the majority of people vote by mail and make it easier for everyone.
pulisse 3y ago
If a jurisdiction is reducing the number of election day polling places in an area, they're also going to reduce opportunities to vote in other ways. An egregious example is Houston, where there is now one (1) place to drop off early ballots in a county of 4 million people.
klyrs 3y ago
Spoiler: disenfranchisement is tactical. If serving all voters was a shared goal, we'd find it extremely easy.
mlazos 3y ago
lol or just use mail! Done!
- stronglikedan 3y ago
  Banned in so many countries because it's rife for abuse, yet somehow people think it's a safe option in a country as big as the US.
  - ok_dad 3y ago
    Citation needed. For all the claims of massive voter fraud, I’ve seen about three convictions in the news. I certainly haven’t seen evidence of massive fraud in the many, many states that allow mail in voting.
    - gotoeleven 3y ago
      It is very difficult if not impossible to catch fraudulent mail in votes. The rules surrounding mail-in and absentee ballots seem like they're actually designed to make fraud easier (ie ballot harvesting).
      - deleted 3y ago
        [deleted]
      - gus_massa 3y ago
        Here in Argentina in some places we had "chain voting" (Spanish) https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraude_electoral#:~:text=Voto%20cadena https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraude_electoral#:~:text=Voto%... autotranslation> Chain vote, allows the purchase of votes, the first one who enters to vote, puts another envelope (not the authorized one, but any one). That vote will probably be contested, but they take the valid envelope with them. Then he inserts a ballot from his party into it and closes it tightly, then he can organize a chain of votes making sure that they are in his favor, even if there is a dark room. He offers each person a reward if they bring the empty envelope in exchange for taking the full envelope. Frequently used in low-income areas where political leaders organize the chain. It's a lot of work to avoid the checks of voting in person. Without those checks it's too easy to force or pay someone to vote for a party and verify it 100%.
    - alkonaut 3y ago
      If people believe it threatens the integrity of the election then it already is a problem, whether it actually causes fraud or not. Holding fair elections has no meaning unless people actually believe they are fair. Also “abuse” doesn’t necessarily mean voter fraud. It can be as simple as being pressured by a family member to vote a certain way if you do it without privacy. If you vote alone in a booth that’s not an issue (and again - it’s an issue as soon as someone thinks it’s an issue). Setting up mini polling places where people can cast early votes using the same procedure as on Election Day solves many problems without causing any new concerns. Other solutions have concerns however small.
      - 3y ago
  - pulisse 3y ago
    Voting in Oregon has been exclusively by mail since 2000 without any such abuse materializing.
  - idontpost 3y ago
    [dead]
  - mlavrent 3y ago
    Since moving to Washington, I've discovered just how easy voting can be, and how we can drive voter participation (oh, if only that's what everyone wanted). I always voted when I needed to in person in other states, but now ballots just show up in my mailbox without me even knowing there was an election; it makes having 3-4 elections every year a complete non-issue since all it involves is finding a pen, and making the trek back to my mailbox to drop it off. I buy that it's rife for abuse in many countries, but the US has such a well-protected (legally-speaking) postal service that it's probably the best country of any I know to do mail-in voting.
bigbillheck 3y ago
It's hard to solve social problems (intentional voter disenfranchisement) with technological solutions.

reidjs 3y ago

Or better yet, have the majority of people vote by mail and make it easier for everyone.

pulisse 3y ago

If a jurisdiction is reducing the number of election day polling places in an area, they're also going to reduce opportunities to vote in other ways. An egregious example is Houston, where there is now one (1) place to drop off early ballots in a county of 4 million people.

klyrs 3y ago

Spoiler: disenfranchisement is tactical. If serving all voters was a shared goal, we'd find it extremely easy.

mlazos 3y ago

lol or just use mail! Done!

stronglikedan 3y ago
Banned in so many countries because it's rife for abuse, yet somehow people think it's a safe option in a country as big as the US.
- ok_dad 3y ago
  Citation needed. For all the claims of massive voter fraud, I’ve seen about three convictions in the news. I certainly haven’t seen evidence of massive fraud in the many, many states that allow mail in voting.
  - gotoeleven 3y ago
    It is very difficult if not impossible to catch fraudulent mail in votes. The rules surrounding mail-in and absentee ballots seem like they're actually designed to make fraud easier (ie ballot harvesting).
    - deleted 3y ago
      [deleted]
    - gus_massa 3y ago
      Here in Argentina in some places we had "chain voting" (Spanish) https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraude_electoral#:~:text=Voto%20cadena https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraude_electoral#:~:text=Voto%... autotranslation> Chain vote, allows the purchase of votes, the first one who enters to vote, puts another envelope (not the authorized one, but any one). That vote will probably be contested, but they take the valid envelope with them. Then he inserts a ballot from his party into it and closes it tightly, then he can organize a chain of votes making sure that they are in his favor, even if there is a dark room. He offers each person a reward if they bring the empty envelope in exchange for taking the full envelope. Frequently used in low-income areas where political leaders organize the chain. It's a lot of work to avoid the checks of voting in person. Without those checks it's too easy to force or pay someone to vote for a party and verify it 100%.
  - alkonaut 3y ago
    If people believe it threatens the integrity of the election then it already is a problem, whether it actually causes fraud or not. Holding fair elections has no meaning unless people actually believe they are fair. Also “abuse” doesn’t necessarily mean voter fraud. It can be as simple as being pressured by a family member to vote a certain way if you do it without privacy. If you vote alone in a booth that’s not an issue (and again - it’s an issue as soon as someone thinks it’s an issue). Setting up mini polling places where people can cast early votes using the same procedure as on Election Day solves many problems without causing any new concerns. Other solutions have concerns however small.
    - 3y ago
- pulisse 3y ago
  Voting in Oregon has been exclusively by mail since 2000 without any such abuse materializing.
- idontpost 3y ago
  [dead]
- mlavrent 3y ago
  Since moving to Washington, I've discovered just how easy voting can be, and how we can drive voter participation (oh, if only that's what everyone wanted). I always voted when I needed to in person in other states, but now ballots just show up in my mailbox without me even knowing there was an election; it makes having 3-4 elections every year a complete non-issue since all it involves is finding a pen, and making the trek back to my mailbox to drop it off. I buy that it's rife for abuse in many countries, but the US has such a well-protected (legally-speaking) postal service that it's probably the best country of any I know to do mail-in voting.

bigbillheck 3y ago

It's hard to solve social problems (intentional voter disenfranchisement) with technological solutions.