# Why are there long lines at US election offices? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 6, 2012, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-long-lines-at-us-election-offices/640060 "2012-11-06T10:10:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-long-lines-at-us-election-offices/640060/22 "2012-11-06T12:47:29Z")
Bear in mind that in many states, including heavily-contested jurisdictions such as Ohio and Florida, anyone can vote absentee and skip standing in line. California’s official voter guide for its 11 state propositions is 140 pages long, before one even gets to local issues. In Ohio, people must vote on State Issue 2. Quickly now: Yes or No? > [@](#): > > State Issue 2 > To create a state-funded commission to draw legislative and congressional districts > Proposed Constitutional Amendment > Proposed by Initiative Petition > To add and repeal language in Sections 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 13 of Article XI, > repeal Sections 8 and 14 of Article XI, and add a new Section 16 to Article XI > of the Constitution of the State of Ohio > A majority yes vote is necessary for the amendment to pass. > The proposed amendment would: > > 1. Remove the authority of elected representatives and grant new authority to appointed officials to establish > congressional and state legislative district lines. > 2. Create a state funded commission of appointed officials from a limited pool of applicants to replace the > aforementioned. The Commission will consist of 12 members (4 affiliated with the largest political party, 4 > affiliated with the second largest political party, and 4 not affiliated with either of the two largest political > parties) who will be chosen as follows: > A. On or before January 1 of the year that the decennial census is conducted, the Chief Justice of the > Supreme Court of Ohio shall select by lot a panel consisting of eight judges of the courts of appeals of Ohio, > no more than four of whom may be members of the same political party. This panel of judges shall be > responsible for selecting potential members of the Commission. On or before April 1 of the year that the > decennial census is conducted, this panel of judges shall appoint an independent auditor who shall assist the > judges in determining the eligibility of potential members of the Commission. > B. Eligible persons may submit applications for membership on the Commission to the Secretary of State by > May 1 of the year that the decennial census is conducted. The Secretary of State shall make available an > appropriate application form designed to help determine the eligibility and qualifications of applicants and shall > publicize the application process. The Secretary of State shall provide the panel of judges with the > applications and any other records necessary to determine eligibility of the applicants. > C. On or before August 1 of the year that the decennial census is conducted, the panel of eight judges > described in subparagraph A shall select from the applicants forty-two individuals to serve as potential > members of the Commission. The judges, after adopting a selection procedure, shall select applicants who > have the relevant skills and abilities, including a capacity for impartiality, and who reflect the diversity of Ohio. > These shall include the fourteen most qualified applicants affiliated with each of the two largest political > parties, and the fourteen most qualified applicants who have been unaffiliated with either of these political > parties during the prior five years. The selection of potential members shall require the affirmative vote of at > least five of the eight judges. The two largest political parties shall be determined based on the votes received > by the candidates for Governor in the most recent gubernatorial election. > D. On or before August 15 of the year that the decennial census is conducted, the speaker of the Ohio > House of Representatives and the highest ranking member of the House not of the same political party as the > speaker may each respectively eliminate up to three of the fourteen potential members affiliated with the > largest political party, up to three of the fourteen potential members affiliated with the second largest political > party, and up to three of the fourteen potential members not affiliated with either of these parties. This shall > result in a final pool of not less than twenty-four potential members of the Commission. > E. From the final pool of potential members, the panel of eight judges, or their designee, shall choose by lot, > and in public, three individuals affiliated with each of the two largest political parties and three individuals not > affiliated with either of these > parties to serve as members of the Commission. On or before October 1 of the year that the decennial > census is conducted, these nine members shall meet to select from the final pool of potential members three > additional members, which shall include one member affiliated with the largest political party, one member > affiliated with the second largest political party, and one member not affiliated with either of these parties. In > selecting the final three members, the members of the Commission shall seek a total commission > membership that reflects the diversity of Ohio and that has the relevant skills and abilities, including a capacity > for impartiality, which will allow the Commission to fulfill its responsibilities. The nine members selected by lot > and the three additional members selected by the original nine members shall comprise the full Commission. > F. No member of the Commission shall be subject to removal by the general assembly or any member of > the executive branch. > 3. Require new legislative and congressional districts be immediately established by the Commission to > replace the most recent districts adopted by elected representatives, which districts shall not be challenged > except by court order until the next federal decennial census and apportionment. Affirmative votes of 7 of 12 > Commission members are needed to select a plan. In the event the Commission is not able to determine a > plan by October 1, the Ohio Supreme Court would need to adopt a plan from all the plans submitted to the > Commission. > 4. Repeals current constitutional requirements for drawing legislative districts that avoid splits to counties, > townships, municipalities and city wards where possible, and when not possible, limiting such divisions to only > one division per governmental unit, and also repeals requirements to form as many whole legislative districts > solely within a county as possible. The foregoing would be replaced and require the Commission to adopt a > plan that complies with all applicable federal and state constitutional provisions, federal statutory provisions, > and the contiguity requirement and that most closely meets the factors of community preservation, > competitiveness, representational fairness, and compactness. The Commission would also be required not to > draw or adopt a plan with an intent to favor or disfavor a political party, incumbent, or potential candidate. > 5. Mandate the General Assembly to appropriate all funds necessary to adequately fund the activities of the > Commission including, but not be limited to, compensating: > A. Staff > B. Consultants > C. Legal counsel > D. Commission members > If approved, the amendment will be effective thirty days after the election. > Shall the amendment be approved ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-long-lines-at-us-election-offices/640060/23 "2012-11-06T12:54:47Z")
> [@Donnerwetter](#): > > I wasn’t sure myself. I read the expression in a CNN report about today’s election. Presumably a place to vote early or get an absentee ballot might be called an election office. I’ve never heard that term, but in my small town, the town clerk handles most details about town business before the voting day in the town office. But the place where votes are cast on election day is a polling place. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-long-lines-at-us-election-offices/640060/24 "2012-11-06T12:55:07Z")
Currently standing in line at the polling place in my small suburb of Chicago. There are maybe a dozen people ahead of me, and I think it’s mostly people voting before work. It’s moving smoothly. Part of the delay is having just 2-3 volunteers to flip through the books that have all of the pages showing who is registered to vote in the district, so that makes a bottleneck before you even get to wait for a ballot and then wait for an open booth. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-long-lines-at-us-election-offices/640060/25 "2012-11-06T12:59:49Z")
I have never had to wait more than 10 minutes to vote. Amazingly, my polling place is never on the news. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-long-lines-at-us-election-offices/640060/26 "2012-11-06T13:01:44Z")
> [@Donnerwetter](#): > > That makes me wonder why people choose to vote early. Having to go to an election office which isn’t even near where I live and then having to wait for a considerable amount of time takes away all the convenience of early voting, doesn’t it? Voting day in the US is always a Tuesday, which is a workday. For those who must work on Tuesday, particularly those with a long work shift, it may be nearly impossible to vote on the actual vote day so for those people waiting in line for early voting may be less inconvenient than trying to schedule a day off in order to vote on election day. ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-long-lines-at-us-election-offices/640060/27 "2012-11-06T13:03:45Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Presumably a place to vote early or get an absentee ballot might be called an election office. I’ve never heard that term, but in my small town, the town clerk handles most details about town business before the voting day in the town office. But the place where votes are cast on election day is a polling place. I guess you’re right. This was about early voting and people who picked up their absentee ballots. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-long-lines-at-us-election-offices/640060/28 "2012-11-06T13:05:14Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > And in the US, they are called “polling places,” not “election offices.” Actually, in Florida, the places where early in-person voting take place _are_ election offices. The “polling place” is a location in which to cast your vote, which may or may not be located in an election office, as opposed to a local school, church basement, or, in my case, the garage where the local township parks its emergency and maintenance vehicles. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-long-lines-at-us-election-offices/640060/29 "2012-11-06T13:08:14Z")
And I’m done! Easy, because there were only 2 ballot referenda (-ums?) to deal with. ---
**Author:** ![jacobsta811](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jacobsta811/32/2893_2.png) [@jacobsta811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacobsta811)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-long-lines-at-us-election-offices/640060/30 "2012-11-06T13:18:42Z")
Definitely overblown for tv - I’ve voted in 5 different districts in 3 different states, and never had to wait more than 5 minutes, and that was a Presidential election year in New Jersey - which is our most densely populated state. Most of the time, there is no wait at all - you walk in, say your name, and you get a ballot or get sent to the right machine immediately, and there is no more than 1 or 2 other people even voting at the same time as you. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-long-lines-at-us-election-offices/640060/31 "2012-11-06T13:32:23Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Voting day in the US is always a Tuesday, which is a workday. For those who must work on Tuesday, particularly those with a long work shift, it may be nearly impossible to vote on the actual vote day so for those people waiting in line for early voting may be less inconvenient than trying to schedule a day off in order to vote on election day. How long are the polling stations open on election day? We vote on a work day in the UK too (Thursdays), but polling stations are open 7am-10pm so it would have to be a pretty horrendous, employment law-defying workshift to not be able to make it. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-long-lines-at-us-election-offices/640060/32 "2012-11-06T13:34:55Z")
6 am to 8 pm, usually. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-long-lines-at-us-election-offices/640060/33 "2012-11-06T13:38:00Z")
> [@Donnerwetter](#): > > That makes me wonder why people choose to vote early. Having to go to an election office which isn’t even near where I live and then having to wait for a considerable amount of time takes away all the convenience of early voting, doesn’t it? There’s an element of political theater to it. Activist voters want to be seen packing the polls, eager to vote, and they want to be exit polled so as to show momentum for their candidate. Ohio, like Florida and many other states, allows anyone to vote absentee (i.e., you don’t actually have to be absent), so a physical trip tot he polling place is not necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-long-lines-at-us-election-offices/640060/34 "2012-11-06T13:41:28Z")
The one time I voted in NYC, it was a zoo. We were voting in a nearby school, and there were seemingly thousands of people all trying to vote at the same time. It was like a gymnasium crossed with a college bar. During the last presidential election, folks were lined up before the polls opened here in NJ. Off cycle elections are pretty sleepy, you go in, walk right up to the table and get your turn, no muss no fuss. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-long-lines-at-us-election-offices/640060/35 "2012-11-06T13:45:19Z")
The last two elections I waited an hour and a half to vote in my district. This morning I went to the polls and the people coming out were reporting an hour wait but the line were out the door and down the block by then, far longer than in the past when voting took so long. I will be trying again when I get off work but I expect the process to take two hours. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-long-lines-at-us-election-offices/640060/36 "2012-11-06T14:02:03Z")
Voting opens at 7:00 here in MA. I arrived at the polling place at 6:55 and there were maybe 50 people in line. By the time I left at 7:20 there were perhaps triple that number. Today was the longest lines I’ve seen here, but we have a very close Senate race that is driving record numbers of folks to the polls. There were long lines at several polling stations I passed on the drive to work, but by 8:30 they were noticeably shorter. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-long-lines-at-us-election-offices/640060/37 "2012-11-06T14:05:06Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Poll workers are paid, so the more you need, the more cost to taxpayers. In many places, poll workers are volunteers. Even where they re paid, the pay is very nominal. It’s not a job. That’s why 90 percent of poll workers that I’ve seen are retirees. > [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Now, take all of that, and mix in elderly poll volunteers and a decent number of senior citizen voters who don’t move at a fast clip at the best of times, and it will take some time to vote. Yes. I just voted and the line was not what would considered long and the ballot was relatively simple (3 offices, 2 constitutional amendments, and 4 bond issues) but I still waited nearly an hour. Not only was the process slow, but there were only two machines (for those choosing electronic) and three privacy screen (for those choosing paper) and the community center is huge. They finally let people use the other side of the desk if you didn’t care about using a privacy screen, but that’s only three more spots. > [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Bear in mind that in many states, including heavily-contested jurisdictions such as Ohio and Florida, anyone can vote absentee and skip standing in line. Yeah good luck with Republicans in charge of state government. My mom was notified yesterday that Jon Husted’s goons had rejected her absentee ballot. She’s recovering from back surgery and now has to run around the county to figure out what to do. > [@SanVito](#): > > How long are the polling stations open on election day? We vote on a work day in the UK too (Thursdays), but polling stations are open 7am-10pm so it would have to be a pretty horrendous, employment law-defying workshift to not be able to make it. This varies according to state law. Here they are open from 6 am to 7 pm. If we tried to go after finishing work we’d never make it. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-long-lines-at-us-election-offices/640060/38 "2012-11-06T14:20:43Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > How long are the polling stations open on election day? We vote on a work day in the UK too (Thursdays), but polling stations are open 7am-10pm so it would have to be a pretty horrendous, employment law-defying workshift to not be able to make it. Some people have long shifts - for example, my typical workday is 10 hours (I work 4 days a week, three off, so that’s how I get my 40 hours). Nurses often have 12 hours shifts. Some people have a risk of being held over if the person on the next shift doesn’t show up, so their 8 hour day may be unexpectedly extended. Most places in the US I have lived the polls were open at least 12 hours on election day - but if you have a 10 hour shift with an hour commute on each end getting to the polls on time might be a challenge.\* A traffic jam might mean you get to the polls too late to vote. Of course, these sorts of situations is why we’ve long had absentee voting. People in that situation could submit their ballot early - Despite my 10 hour shift it’s not a problem for me because 1) the polls here open 3 hours before I have to start work, 2) my commute is 10 minutes, not an hour, and 3) I happen to be off today, so no problem. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-long-lines-at-us-election-offices/640060/39 "2012-11-06T14:25:42Z")
Went to vote at 9am today. Had to wait behind 3 people because they were all A-M and from my section. The other 3 poll workers couldn’t help since my name wasn’t in their books. I will give a thumbs up to Christie, while I didn’t need any special help to vote, he seems to have opened up a lot of options for folks who were impacted by Sandy. He promised voting trucks (of some sort) for locations without power, and made electronic voting available. Rather a contrast from other administrations who seem to think that actively preventing votes is an acceptable choice. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-long-lines-at-us-election-offices/640060/40 "2012-11-06T14:39:32Z")
The registration books are alphabetical, and at least at my polling place, the workers seem to have great difficulty with the alphabet. They’ll turn page after page looking for my surname, instead of figuring out that L _always_ comes between K and M. Then there’s the time spent explaining to me how the black pen works. And then there’s the time spent in the booth, coloring in arrows for 120 different judges. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-long-lines-at-us-election-offices/640060/41 "2012-11-06T14:49:13Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Actually, in Florida, the places where early in-person voting take place _are_ election offices. The “polling place” is a location in which to cast your vote, which may or may not be located in an election office, as opposed to a local school, church basement, or, in my case, the garage where the local township parks its emergency and maintenance vehicles. Most of the early voting places in my part of Florida are public libraries, which are also polling places on election day, just not for my precinct. Your Florida election mileage may differ, but AFAIK none of our early voting places are election offices nor do I even know where that might be. Also, fwiw, we don’t have church basements in Florida. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-long-lines-at-us-election-offices/640060.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-long-lines-at-us-election-offices/640060.md?page=3)