It breaks my heart to see people staying in line for hours in order to vote

The title says it all.

Why has there been a concerted effort to make voting more difficult?

In theory I have no problem with requiring IDs in order to vote as long as this requirement is implemented slowly and methodically and helping all those who need an ID to get one. I also abhor even a single non-citizen, even longtime undocumented worker voting. Voting is too sacred and precious to use it in a partisan manner. (I am also incensed by gerrymandering but that is a bit different of an issue.)

However, reducing early voting hours simply seems backward and it is a shame that in US, the land of liberty, i the 21st century, this is happening. One would think that with technology, liner should become shorter and shorter.

I admit I do not have the resolve of people who stay in line for hours, say six hours, in order to vote. To avoid all lines, I am usually the first or second person after the polls open. One time I was number four and waiting 15 mins or so started to wear me down.

I salute those who stay in long lines in order to vote. Their resolve brightens my day, but their plight breaks my heart. I abhor the effort of those who think by limiting voting hours, their party would benefit.

This should not be a partisan issue.

Pleas discuss if interested/concerned.

(I am leaving for a full day trip and might not be able to contribute much. I was watching TV and the wait for these people broke my heart and wanted to share that sentiment with you all.)

Me too. Voting should be illegal for stupid people.

I'm serious and research supports it.

Why is there such a strong get out the vote propaganda in this country? Why do we have rock stars and celebrities urging the lemmings to hit the polls? Because the meme is set and all they need is an appeal to the irrational subconscious to get a few more people to skip McDonalds for lunch that day and wait in line to get a sticker, instead.

I also salute those that wait in line because it gets them one step closer to realizing they're an essential part of the problem: electing more government.

Well, I could be wrong on this but isn't that why early voting has become more common and often promoted by politicians. The first lady has been making it a point this election for people to vote early to avoid lines. That is what I ended up doing, mailing in my voting slip the other day. It was easy to do.

"Eager early voters on a path to set U.S. record"

From the article:

Quote : Encouraged by both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, millions of Americans aren't waiting for Nov. 6 to cast their secret ballot and will almost certainly set a new national record for early voting. In 2004, when Americans voted to allow Massachusetts to keep John Kerry as senator, about 20% of the popular vote was cast before Election Day. Last time, which was the first time ever two sitting senators faced off for the White House, 31% of Americans -- about 40 million of us -- voted before Election Day. This time, according to a newly-released Gallup Poll, about 36% of Americans indicate they have already or do intend to vote before Election Day. For some strange reason, Republicans seem particularly eager to get the deed done. While the storm formerly known as Hurricane Sandy is disrupting early voting in some Eastern states this week, authorities are likely to extend the hours or days to make up for any lost time. And anyway, the East is actually the worst region for early voting with only 9%, compared with 23% in the Midwest, 40% in the South and 55% in the West. Data indicates no difference in early voting inclinations by gender, race or income. However, the older voters are and the more education they have, the more likely they are to vote in advance....

Read More At IBD: http://news.investors.com/politic...z2BB3tYL2Z

In Bush v Gore I went to vote early, but iirc it was the last day for early voting, and I stood in line for about 3 hours before I got to vote. I guess people wanted to get in that last day. I learned my lesson. This time I went to vote a week ago, well before the end of early voting, at 9am, and I was in and out in 15 minutes. Waiting for the last day or hours to do something is always a recipe for long waits and frustration, in voting or most of anything else

But I applaud their excitement and the passion it takes to endure such a long line. I know I had that when I went to vote (Gore was , and is, a moron, and I wanted to do my part to make sure he does not become president, he was enough of a disaster as VP, only eclipsed by Biden), and it is refreshing to see the passion there again this time around.

IMHO procrastinators only have themselves to blame...the good thing is that, like me, they learned their lesson and next time will vote earlier, and be in and out in 15 minutes

never had a problem waiting to vote. I don't wait to go at 5:30 pm though like most.

Quote from barnz008 : Me too. Voting should be illegal for stupid people. I'm serious and research supports it. Why is there such a strong get out the vote propaganda in this country? Why do we have rock stars and celebrities urging the lemmings to hit the polls? Because the meme is set and all they need is an appeal to the irrational subconscious to get a few more people to skip McDonalds for lunch that day and wait in line to get a sticker, instead. I also salute those that wait in line because it gets them one step closer to realizing they're an essential part of the problem: electing more government.

Stipulating your thesis that stupid people should not vote, how is that related to the OP? Do you suggest that lines are long only for "stupid people"?

Quote from Dr. J : never had a problem waiting to vote. I don't wait to go at 5:30 pm though like most.

Long lines for those who enter the polling place at 5:30 can only be justified/excused if during long stretch of time during the day no one is in line and voting booths are also unoccupied. Less, I have no idea what you are getting it.

For what its worth some of the line you can see that are stretched forever are in mid-morning.

I say there is no excuse for these lines.

Dunno.. I don't vote anymore because it is silly to think it makes a difference

I agree with the OP. Considering the importance we place on voting as a society (it is one of our defining values), it is ridiculous to me that we tolerate and excuse attempts to arbitrarily limit it by restricting early voting. While it is still possible to request an absentee ballot in most (all?) states, deadlines have been tightened. Early voting seems like a simple solution to a serious problem.


Sadly, the restrictions in this election have had a decidedly partisan undertone, since early voting efforts in the last couple of elections have largely benefited those in more highly populated areas and the working class - both Democratically-leaning groups. However, at least since the gap is closing this election as Republicans have seen better results from their vote-early campaigns, perhaps there will be less partisan interference.

Quote from barnz008 : Why is there such a strong get out the vote propaganda in this country? Why do we have rock stars and celebrities urging the lemmings to hit the polls?

Why do we have evangelical pastors and talk radio hosts doing it?

Quote from ShengD : Why do we have evangelical pastors and talk radio hosts doing it?

Because they are meme hosts and part of the gatekeeping community.

Like the old saying goes, if voting changed anything the government would make it illegal.

So you are saying that polls should be "sized" for peak demand?

I don't think that there SHOULD be lines for voting, but having every polling place oversized by 200% to "eliminate waiting" doesn't seem like a wise solution.

Quote from Dr. J : So you are saying that polls should be "sized" for peak demand? I don't think that there SHOULD be lines for voting, but having every polling place oversized by 200% to "eliminate waiting" doesn't seem like a wise solution.

We are not talking about a 10 minute line. We are talking about a 6 hour line.

Sheesh!

ETA: I understand what NOT designing for the peak means. Say peak to mean is 1.4 but you still design for mean. That means at times you would have a moderate (say 10, 20, even 30 minutes) lines. But when you have 6 hours line from the beginning to the end, you are trying to suppress turnout. I know you know this. You MUST know this. Yet you try to use your talent to defend the indefensible. Partisanship does terrible thing to good people.

Quote from TRNT : We are not talking about a 10 minute line. We are talking about a 6 hour line. Sheesh!

so what's the solution? a 6 hour line would mean either the polling place is VASTLY HUGELY MASSIVELY understaffed/underoutfitted OR there are too few polling places OR everyone in the district descends simultaneously to vote.

Practically, the best chance for such a line would be if everyone showed up to vote at the same time, e.g. right after work.

Quote from barnz008 : Me too. Voting should be illegal for stupid people. I'm serious and research supports it. Why is there such a strong get out the vote propaganda in this country?

My definition of a strong "get out the vote propaganda" for stupid people is Fox News.