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.
I’ve always been able to vote within 10 min or less. Must vary a lot by location.
Same here. I’m in a major city, only ever takes about 5 minutes for me 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.
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.
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.
Also it takes five minutes to walk to the voting office from my home, on the voting Sunday.
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.
It is working as designed, since it is meant to discourage people from voting. The less voter participation the better results for Republicans.
Same. It’s like a short stop on a Sunday walk… Because we ALWAYS VOTE ON SUNDAY!
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.
I could have been more clear I guess. I was not trying to question why other people early vote, only why people around me do.
For me 10 people are usually in line :(
Although it still doesn’t take longer than like 15 minutes
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.
I don’t know took us almost an hour 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.
That’s pretty much how it is for me unless they’re having problems with the printer or something
Jeez I have voted by mail for every election I’ve participated in. That looks miserable.
If Republicans get their way, voting by anything other than in-person on election day will be banned.
Also, voting in-person on election day will be banned.
Im ok with that.
Why would you want to limit access for legally eligible voters?
Because reactionaries know that they only win when they supress the vote.
If everyone voted, the GOP would not exist as a national party.
They’re a MAGAt. Look at the community they frequent. Scum like them need voter suppression to win, because they sure as hell can’t win by popular vote alone.
Well, ya know what Grammy always said:
Hope in one hand, shit in the other, and see which one fills up faster…Weird, in my conservative and high income county it took me literally five minutes at the library.
“It’s not a bug, it’s a feature”
You guys still have a liberry?
Yeah, it’s even got books in it and not just computers.
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.
How many machete wielding loons accosted you?
None but took almost an hour to vote. What I was most mad about was that they placed Kamala and Tim 4th on the ballot.
In Oklahoma, the order is actually randomized. Different districts will have the candidates in different orders.
Who was first?
Someone I never heard of. Mark somebody, then Robert Kennedy, Donald Trump the Harris.
I thought RK bowed out, but he’s still on the ballot? Odd.
Piece of information I found interesting that may apply to your experience https://youtu.be/_-uJl_Db4Rw?si=pKSj5m0OVvRGLy2W
sounds like you need some freedumb.
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.
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
I just mail my vote, mail comes in fill in form and mail goes out.
It takes 5mins out of my day tops
I also vote by mail and it usually takes me longer in non-presidential years because there’s more offices to vote for and zero local campaigning. So I have to creep on people on social media to know if I’m comfortable with them having the powers of prothonotary.
That’s so much “fun” with all those tiny local offices. “Okay who is this person?”
Zero public web presence about them at all.
It’d be nice if there was something like Ballotpedia but public owned. “You want to run for an office? You need to fill out this profile.”
I imagine lots of people are just like “Eh, this name sounds pretty.” Lol
For one the only thing I could find was a locked-down Facebook profile.
They were running unopposed.
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.
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
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’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.
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
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.
What a cool freaking flag.
CGP Grey hasn’t made a video about it because he can’t stop staring at it
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.
Feel really old now but is only been since 2011 since Brad Henry was governor.
No matter who wins it won’t be our last election. I do know that the next one will definitely be the most important election of our lifetime though.
Always will be.
“More now than EVER”
– Every political ad til the end of time.
Lol good bet
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.
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
The press has already walked back at the threat of Trump, so the autocracy has already begun. It’s happening, pre election.
“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.
This terrifies me.
Right there with you.
Why no vote by mail?
Some might think it’s safer to be there in person I guess
Definitely think so too
I vote absentee, as do most of the people I know, and after 2020, none of us are mailing our ballot back. We are taking them to the in-person voting areas and dropping them off with staff.
In 2020, there were reports of ballots being dumped, and so far there have been reports of drop boxes set on fire and stuff… it’s hard to trust, because of republican stooges seeding chaos, and enough of a pain in the ass to fix if it gets messed up that we aren’t taking chances.
Edit: seeing to seeding
I mailed mine. But I also got a text that the ballot was coming and another a few days after mailing saying it was accepted and counted. I imagine it would be annoying if I had to get a new ballot because some ass caught it on fire, but probably not any more so than having to vote like in the pic.
Yea I heard about ballots being dumped and the fires that’s why I’m voting in person
You can track your ballot after it’s mailed/dropped off.
California does an excellent job at this. You get a notification that your ballot has been counted.
Same in Colorado!
When they’re burning drop off boxes in THREE different states, I want to see it counted.
this mf said erarly
This is what 49th in education gets ya.
–Fellow Okie
Ha!
— Former Okie, now Nevadan, proud 50-somethingth in education for many years running
(Are we not aware of how many states there are or are we counting outlying U.S territories? Anybody’s guess! 😉)
I herd we may be dropping to 60th here purdy soon 😡
Give them a break, it’s really erarly.
one time I ended up getting a job after sending an email that started “dearing hiring manager”
“best retards”
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.
Remember folks Hitler failed to burn it down the first time
Will US under Trump be more or less of a Nazi state than, for example, under Nixon?
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.
Trump has also tried to cut medicare several times, while Harris wants to put a cap on out-of-pocket prescription prices and actually improve things instead of blaming everything on immigrants.
I don’t appreciate your whataboutism. You’re arguing like it’s one or the other, bodily autonomy or better healthcare. The goal should be both. They’re not conflicting issues.
I understand what you feel, I was there too accusing others of „symmetrism”. You don’t want to see critique of your side or pointing out that others might not be entirely wrong because you feel like everything you do contributes in some small way to which side will win. But this only leads to dishonesty and overt hyperboles. You’ll be frustrated, anxious and sad when you lose so don’t do that to yourself.
Maybe people voting for Trump don’t care about public healthcare because they don’t trust doctors in general. Maybe they feel that the entire healthcare industry is there to scam them and putting public money would be a waste. They’re probably wrong but you need to consider what led people to vote for someone that promises to dismantle the whole system. Maybe the root cause is something different and that’s what needs addressing first?
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.
“I’m going to shoot you in the face” - Man who can’t stop lying if their life depended on it.
“I don’t believe you” - Last words of person shot in face.
shocked pikachu face
Maybe lets not risk it.Yeah, I was shot by Trump to death twice yesterday. Try to get down go actual issues rather than whatever it is that you’re doing.
When someone walks up to you with a gun pointed at your head threatening to end your life. Do you ignore them and carry on as if nothing is happening?
Doesnt matter if they have no intention of causing harm, the threat needs to be treated as it were real because it absolutely can be real.
Nobody is pointing a gun at your head, you’re using an unnecessary and unproductive hyperbole. This kind of escalation is what’s going to erode remaining usefulness of political debate.
I really hate to be the bearer of bad news. I don’t want any of this to happen. I hope others will learn from our mistakes.
The same ccouldve been said for 1933 Germany. There were plenty of people then saying “he doesn’t really mean it. He’s just trying to rile up the masses for votes”. 6 years later they were rolling tanks through your country.
Dont ever be compilict to someone making threats.
Or, maybe, it’s a bit of an overreaction and you don’t live in the ascent of new Nazi Germany but because you’re so hysterical now nobody is going to treat you seriously when actual bad things happen. Also been there, done that. I’m saying this with your best interest in mind because we already made those mistakes.
Unfortunately US might be fucked due to two party system but the actual solution to your troubles is honest debate. Try to listen to what Trump voters are afraid of. Some of their concerns are probably valid but they have been misled by shrewd politicians. They won’t regain trust by treating them like children. Or nazis.
You cant debate with bigots.
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.
I’m genuinely curious, who is getting rounded up? And who’s going to let that happen?
He’s talking about deporting millions of illegal immigrants, which will probably require putting them in a camp at least temporarily.
So the “camps” side of things definitely feels gross, but he’s “threatening” to enforce the law, that’s not wrong. Now if he’s weaponizing the system to deport his opposition or otherwise law abiding citizens, that’s a problem.
A lot of the people he wants to deport are people claiming asylum because the country they come from is too dangerous to be in. Letting those people stay here while they plead their case is one of our lawful treaty obligations. Rounding them up and summarily deporting them is not enforcing the law it’s abrogating the law.
He has promised to deport pro-palestine protesters.
Most of whom are born Americans.
You’re not paying attention. The camps are for far more than just the undocumented.
Okay, but legally he can’t do that. No matter how much he wants to. And once again, orders are as only good as the people who are tasked with carrying them out.
Sigh people who think a piece of paper with ink scribbles will protect them… 😮💨
Presidents issue orders against the law all the time and they’re carried out. The damage is done before the issue even hits a court room and then you assume that the judge is willing to risk their life to protect your rights? 😂
It’s worth noting here that the President, as per the supreme Court, is immune from all prosecution if his actions result from the scope of his duties. It would be trivial for Trump to argue that deporting everybody he doesn’t like is within the scope of his duties, whether it’s lawful or not. That’s the unique danger we face right now: a combination of a strong man and a uniquely deferential SCOTUS. It’s never happened in American history.
He’s a literal criminal who has filled the courts with his minons and the police love him.
Who’s going to stop him? Seriously who?
His term this time is going to be worse than last time because he and the republican party have removed all the ways we have to stop him from doing whatever the fuck he wants.
Official acts are completely legal now. He can order protesters executed and the supreme court already said that’s fine.
The president has supreme authority over the executive branch, which includes the military. Trump has explicitly said that he would implement mass deportations, and has called democrats “the enemy within” while in the same breath saying that the national guard could be used to put them in prison.
As for who’s going to let it happen, that would be all of the Trump sychophants that he will be appointing. He learned last time that appointing republicans isn’t enough to let him get away with his batshit crazy ideas, they have to be cult loyalists as well.
I don’t think he should be in charge of anything, but even if he were I can’t imagine there are enough people willing to follow those orders to actually carry them out.
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.
You haven’t been paying attention. Trump tried to implement this stuff last time and was stopped by people loyal to the Constitution. ALL of those people are gone. He is surrounded by people who WILL carry out his orders. Trump rarely learns, but he has absolutely learned a lesson when it comes to staffing.
This is true of libs in general as well
This is a ridiculous attempt to both sides. Give us an example. What compares to “we’re going to detain and deport millions of people”?
I’m not interested in political theatre, I judge based on outcomes because it’s impossible to know intent.
In Poland libs were very up their arms about human rights abuse against migrants on the Belarusian border. Just months after they got back into power they formally suspended ability to request asylum (mandated by Geneva convention and EU basic rights charter). Similar stuff in France as well.
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.
