How the fuck does the US manage to make people stand in line for early voting?
In every civilized country, you can show up on election day (when basically everyone has a free day cause it's Sunday), you vote with maybe 3-4 people in line before you, and you're done after 10 minutes.
Well you see, the point is to prevent people from voting.
The people's will gets in the way of the will of the Oligarchs, religious leaders, and Plutocrats. Hence the effort to make it hard to vote.
This is what happens in some Republican controlled states when they limit the times and places and how people can vote. Trump said a few years ago that if minorities vote, Republicans will never win another election. So Republican controlled states started getting rid of polling stations and changing voting times to standard working hours, etc, knowing that people wouldn't be able to take time off from work to stand in the now longer lines (due to fewer polling stations) or would want to stand in longer lines.
Plus, election day is not a national holiday like it is in most other countries, so people don't get the day off to vote. Though some companies give 3 or 4 hours paid time off strictly for voting.
It is working as designed, since it is meant to discourage people from voting. The less voter participation the better results for Republicans.
I don't know took us almost an hour to vote.
Man you see how it happens. You see these Republicans out there trying to fuck everything when it comes to making it easy to vote. In some places you dip your finger in a jar of ink after you cast your vote, that's how they make sure nobody was twice on election day. In some places, I assume it's all computerized and still accurate. That, and Nobody wants to run for office and get death threats from their neighbors, the most absolute gullible dumbasses in town. Every person in my neighborhood with a Trump sign have no idea how anything works except their own one particular job, and how to get scared at anything else.
I've always been able to vote within 10 min or less. Must vary a lot by location.
It most certainly doe vary a lot by location. And if your voting location is in a high minority or poor population area, it's going to be a long wait for you.
Same here. I'm in a major city, only ever takes about 5 minutes for me to vote.
I like what california did last election: everyone got an absentee ballot. That way I could fill it out at home and drop it off at my polling location at my leisure. There was a line, but I got to walk past it.
There are usually way more polling locations open on election day than during early voting. They set up polling at churches, schools, and community centers all over.
During early voting I have to go to the courthouse which is in the next town over. There aren't any polling places in my city.
In the state of Oregon, I just get mailed a ballot and can either mail it back or drop it off...last year, I did a drive-through ballot drop off at the state capital.
Every election I've ever voted in has had at least a 20 minute wait. I've mostly lived in medium to high density population centers my whole life. I've voted on voting day, I voted by absentee and there was a line for the drop box during COVID, I just did my early voting as a first time Texas voter and there was a 45 minute line to use the voting machines, not even a pen and paper ballot. I've never not seen a line at the polls. It's always been strange to me thinking about the number of folks who DON'T vote vs how many people I personally witness voting every season. But then again, many people don't like standing out in a heat wave while it's raining so I guess it makes sense that a lot of them don't go.
Also it takes five minutes to walk to the voting office from my home, on the voting Sunday.
Same. It's like a short stop on a Sunday walk... Because we ALWAYS VOTE ON SUNDAY!
That's pretty much how it is for me unless they're having problems with the printer or something
I dont know I live in America, longest it has ever taken me to vote on Election Day is 20 minutes, yet people are still waiting in long lines to early vote this year. Typically few people early vote so there are fewer early voting places. But that is not the case this year, so we have giant early vote lines. I am not sure why my neighbors are waiting in long lines to early vote when it will take 10 times as long as in Election Day.
If you don’t know you live in America you should quickly go check. It makes a big difference knowing where you live!
One of the things conservatives are doing is to limit the number of polling stations per X square miles. This is done in the name of fairness and spending, but it disproportionately impacts urban voters more than rural, and thus impacts areas of more progressive voters.
I'd guess this is a larger population center of Oklahoma.
For me 10 people are usually in line :(
Although it still doesn't take longer than like 15 minutes
Hello, fellow Okie.
I know how this state is going to vote. It's been a given every year for nearly six decades. But I'm still gonna vote, as I have in every election since I turned 18. Change doesn't happen if those who want it get discouraged and sit their asses at home.
What has really inspired me this year is the overwhelming majority of Harris-Walz signs in my neighborhood. I stopped counting, but I reckon there are at least thirty of them. I've seen a grand total of five Trump-Vance signs, and three of them are at the same house.
Also, you get much rain last night? It was so good to finally hear thunder again. I had six tenths in my rain gauge this morning!
Update: I stood in line for an hour and a half and cast my ballot. Next time around, I'll remember to request my mail-in ballot on time lol
I'd be very happy just to see Oklahoma actually wait until the polls close to declare the republican presidential win...
I swear every year, they decide it so early I am convinced the electors don't even care what the vote counts are. There is no fucking way backwards as fuck Oklahoma figured out a way to accurately track and count votes faster than any other state - and voter turnout would need to be so high they know it can't possibly turn around in the last 2 hours of the polls still being open? Yea right.
Wow another Okie!
Crazy storms in the Tulsa area for us btw. And probably why I also see Harris Walz signs. We're about to get a Democrat for a mayor!
I reeeeeeeally envy y'all for that flag. The design is dope.
My house district represented by a Dem so it's not that surprising to see Harris-Walz signs, but it IS surprising to see so many. As someone who grew up in the butt crack of Jackson County in DEEP Republican territory, it's just such a breath of fresh air to be able to live around neighbors who aren't crazy goobers.
Feel really old now but is only been since 2011 since Brad Henry was governor.
It's weird seeing queues for voting.
When I vote, I walk to my local voting place, chat with people I know, vote, chat a bit more, then walk home. Perhaps half an hour, if I'm feeling chatty.
This is what voter suppression looks like.
I grew up in Missouri before moving to Washington state. When I reached voting age, it was (and still is) ridiculously common to see polling places in rural and suburban areas with no waiting to vote. Meanwhile, in the cities (which happen to vote more democratic), you’ll see loooong lines extending outside. When voting facilities and staff are not proportionally distributed to accommodate voter density, you get shit like this; voters in different districts receiving different treatment. And people who live there never know any better to ask for something different.
This all blew my mind after living first in a suburban area, then an urban one, and now living in a state that has done voting my mail for decades. I love voting by mail. It’s unconcionable to me at this point for people to stand for in-person voting anymore.
Sad part is I am.in a small town, but this was only place to early vote for the county.
It's probably a blue area in a red state. They intentionally open fewer polling places there as a voter suppression tactic, hoping people will see the line and figure their vote doesn't have enough weight to justify the time.
exactly this. I've moved around a bit and the only places I've had to wait any significant amount of time have been near cities in red states.
really wish we just had universal vote by mail
Where I live, we had early voting for a whole month now. We went during the second week - 0 minute wait. It took longer to walk into the building and follow the signs than it was to get my ballot, vote, and walk out.
I came here to say the same thing. Like I've waited behind a few people before in Cananda but a line going out the door and down the street is insane
I just mail my vote, mail comes in fill in form and mail goes out.
It takes 5mins out of my day tops
Weird, in my conservative and high income county it took me literally five minutes at the library.
The system works as intended
Same. In my conservative and low income county it took me longer to drive to and from the location than it did to actually vote.
sounds like you need some freedumb.
“It’s not a bug, it’s a feature”
Don't worry. Either way, there will still be elections. The real question is whether we start to see candidates "accidentally" falling out of windows or drinking poisoned tea, etc.
Well they better be careful how far they push it, or else the super PAC leaders, the thinktanks, and the 1% are going to start dieing in interesting ways.
I've never stood in like for early voting in the EU. I've done it at my supermarket while getting groceries.
Grab a ballot and envelope, enter booth, do the thing, walk to desk, flash id, get crossed off list, watch volunteer put your envelope in another envelope and drop it in the ballot box.
In-and-out, three minutes.
Come to think of it, voting on election day has always been just as smooth. I just have to go to the library or some school, so it's not as convenient.
I never had to wait for longer than 5 minutes to vote and I never voted early. Mostly because it takes 10 minutes of my time on voting day, which is always a Sunday.
Polling places can't be further away than 1,5km I believe, so wherever you live, it will be close enough to just walk there.
I have voted in schools, kindergardens, a community center and a church.
Well, ya know what Grammy always said:
Hope in one hand, shit in the other, and see which one fills up faster...The press has already walked back at the threat of Trump, so the autocracy has already begun. It’s happening, pre election.
This terrifies me.
Right there with you.
"Walked back at the threat of trump", can you explain what you mean by this a little more? Sorry I'm just not sure what it means.
He's probably talking about the media capitalulating to the Trump campaign by agreeing not to fact check during the Vance/Walz debate. And most recently, the WSJ blocking the Harris endorsement. I.e. a lot of the very rich and powerful people seem to be acting like an authoritarian Trump administration is inevitable, and they're trying to avoid his wrath or position themselves to be favored oligarchs.
It will be the last election in this version of America. The problem is that Trump may legitimately win this election. Voters, a majority, may he causing this.
What then? What if it is the last election in this version of America, and Trump wins legitimately? What does the left do if this happens? How much will you watch the country change? Will you be strong enough in your convictions to resist passification? Mental, and or physical passification, and/or political deactivation?
There will be forces at play trying to make you forget. Move on. Adopt the new normal. Go with it, just for now - because it's not that bad for you. Will you be strong enough to resist that urging?
What will the future hold under Trump? Who knows. But I do know, this is a terrifying comment to have to write.
I will stock up ammo and be prepared, but I want just sit back and watch it happen. I will fight. I have LGBTQ kids no fucking way will I sit back and let Trumps world become the norm.
To be honest if Trump wins its really going be JD Vance as president. They will remove Trump and Vance will in act Project 2025 on day 1.
I.do hope with the huge turn out that this filps and Harris wins. There was a lot of women in line to vote. I hope a lot of them are secretly voting against their mega husband wishes.
A gentle reminder that the Socialist Rifle Association is a thing! No personal experience with them, but I like that they're an underdog foil to your typical "American gun culture" stereotypes.
I should really be more active about this. I don't have the money to dump a ton of brass on the regular but I enjoy the freedom to do it while keeping my ideals!
I hope so, really discouraging to see the maga women who just accept it
this mf said erarly
Good luck from someone who grew up Edmond.
Why does it look like your voting location is just a random house? Voting here happens in school buildings or things of that scale usually with at least 20+ booths in parallel.
Or do you just have many locations?
Don’t vote for the party that skipped their last election!
🍿🇬🇧
So the entertainment begins...
Man I left reddit to get away from the fear mongering like this, and yet here you are.
Both parties benefit from the current system, therefore they both want to keep things the way they are.
The system works.
If you don't like the current state of things, it's not the system that needs changing, it's the people involved in it.
No. One party benefits maintainig the status quo. The other is willing to burn it all down to gain power.
...and yet they've had power before - several times, including once with it being literally this dipshit - and haven't burned it all down to gain power yet.
But then this election is different, it's the most important election of our lifetimes, just like the Democrats have said about every other election since at least 2004. Down to the literal phrase "the most important election of our lifetimes."
The reality is both major parties benefit from the system, and both market based on fear because they don't have anything positive to offer voters that isn't an outright lie that the voters know is an outright lie. The big difference is the the GOP markets on fear of the other and the Dems market on fear of the GOP.
Sounds like you should go back to reddit, Capt. Both Sides.
If you think any politician cares about you, you really need to come back to reality.
Everyone knows capital-first politicians don't actually care about us. We get it.
I'm all 'bout that fancy praxis and mutual aid and all those lofty but pure concepts we definitely need to be working on. But we live in a society here.
Not voting right now is giving an out-and-out fascist a ridiculous amount of power to start crushing and punishing anybody with a different opinion.
We're doing what we can with what we have to soften the blow, so we can actually have the chance to work on the higher concepts like "changing the people involved in it."
I'd much rather be on the ground convincing people to form unions to safely backtalk their bosses, rather than rallying up guerilla units amidst a "boogaloo" because a bunch of hateful and uneducated people put a screeching orange baby on a throne who refused to leave and became "holy immortal emperor."
Lmao hyperbole aside. Seriously. Standing on the sidelines and going "hmph" is basically a vote for things that are likely Very Bad For You(TM).
Little bit of advice from Poland. I’ve seen this kind of mindset before.
When liberals tell you losing will mean the end of democracy they exaggerate a lot. People grow tired of fighting with such high stakes so in the long run you just wear them out. Sure, if Trump wins things will suck definitely but it’s not the end of the world. Ultimately biggest political parties serve various oligarchs so once Dems are inevitably back some years from now you’ll notice not much is changing for you personally.
People grow tired of fighting with such high stakes so in the long run you just wear them out
This is true.
Sure, if Trump wins things will suck definitely but it’s not the end of the world. Ultimately biggest political parties serve various oligarchs so once Dems are inevitably back some years from now you’ll notice not much is changing for you personally.
This is where I vehemently disagree. Just because you're not going to be one of the first ones they target doesn't mean it's no big deal. They're talking about using our local police to round millions of people up and put them in camps, and you're going to sit there and tell me it's not the end of the world? Get the fuck out of here.
It's okay to be tired. Fight anyway. That is what is required to maintain Democracy. Giving in to authoritarianism because it's easier is a bitch move.
This is where I vehemently disagree. Just because you're not going to be one of the first ones they target doesn't mean it's no big deal. They're talking about using our local police to round millions of people up and put them in camps, and you're going to sit there and tell me it's not the end of the world? Get the fuck out of here.
Your mistake is believing any politician, Trump included. He says crazy stuff to win votes, not to actually implement it. This is true of libs in general as well.
Trump is litterally the one telling people that. "Im going to be dictator for a day". "Vote for me and you'll never have to vote again". "We need to use the miltary to rid of the radicals".
If you're truely polish, you should be well aware of what a man that says these things can do.
Do you believe everything Trump says? Is he somehow that one politician that’s going to keep his promises no matter how hard they are to implement? Do you believe everything Harris says?
I’m Polish so I have a good estimate of how this is going to go. Trump is copying Orban / Kaczyński. Dems are copying Tusk who is seen as one to stop illiberal democracy in EU.
If Dems lose they will say every single thing Trump does is an attack on democracy, even if there are rare instances of a broken clock is right twice a day. Ultimately this will erode trust in politics and public institutions even more. Then once Dems are back at the wheel they will want to remain in power so some of the bad things Trump did but people found okay will suddenly be okay. Been there, done that.
It absolutely will be the end of the world for the women who die when an abortion could have saved them, for the immigrants dumped back into their war torn countries, and for the trans people that are forcibly detransitioned who then kill themselves because of the horror.
Spoken like a true cis white male.
Look, if people vote for Trump then maybe they want it that way or don’t care? Is this really the most important thing when people die due to fucking horrid state of US healthcare in general?
I was a head mod of primary polish subreddit and had to resign due to my hard stance of treating calls to criminalise abortion as hate speech. Please don’t question my good intentions, you don’t know me.
Pretty sure they had similar things to say about Bush-Cheney 2004, but now look. The Harris campaign enthusiastically accepted Cheney's endorsement. I think they all need to go in the contraption, but liberals have no credibility.
Jeeze what happened in 2008 again? I can't remember...
Sir, that is far too much logic for this crowd.
This (like Reddit) is an echo chamber.
It’s not a Reddit thing, it’s happening everywhere in the US media sphere aligned with Dems. I have a horrible deja vu to how our local equivalent political party and media did exact same things and lost badly and couldn’t get back into power for nearly 10 years. Not that I’m a big fan of them either but if we had two party system I’d begrudgingly vote for those guys so I can sympathise somewhat. I’m trying to convince at least some people that this is not the way to go.
