Voting lines where you are?

[Kay in Cal]

I've been seeing all the stories about long lines in places where early voting is allowed... and I remember last presidential election seeing stories about very long lines in some states.

 

Why is this? Not why are so many people voting in this election, but why aren't there enough polling places? I've never had to wait more than a couple of minutes here in California (and I've lived in 5 cities), even on Presidential election days. We live in Los Angeles, for goshsakes, the second largest metropolis in the US, and our polling place never has a line.

 

So, for those of you who have experienced this or know something about local voting procedures--what is with the lines? Why do some states/regions have them and others don't? Are there simply not enough polling places, or machines, or personel, or what?

Edited October 23, 2008 by Kay in Cal

[Spy Car]

Another Los Angeles voter who has never had a long wait.

:auto:

[mom2a&z]

In North Carolina, we have early voting and there have been long lines in some areas. My county has around 10 early voting places. I voted today and only had to wait about 15 minutes.

 

My parents live in Missouri where there is no early voting and they plan on getting to the polls early because in the last presidential election they had to wait 2 hours to vote.

 

Yeah for early voting:hurray:

[Kay in Cal]

But why? We don't have early voting here, and still no lines? Is is just that there aren't enough polling places? Hmmmm.... off to google....

 

This is interesting... an interactive map where you can report problems.

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/10/had-problems-vo.html

 

I found several articles about huge waits expected in Maryland, largely because there are not enough voting machines. Not certain why they haven't bought a lot more machines since the last election had hours-long waits there (and my parents were living there last Presidential election, it was terrible).

Edited October 23, 2008 by Kay in Cal

[Jenny in Atl]

Long lines here in Atl. Where I went only two ladies were checking registration, and only about eight machines open for business. There were at least 500 waiting during the hour and forty-five minutes it took me to get through the process. Happy I went a couple weeks ago though, a friend of mine went yesterday, and it took her three hours! :tongue_smilie: