Question for election day

[skirtyscot]

There's something I don't get about American elections. Maybe someone can enlighten me.

Why the long long lo-o-o-ong lines of voters?

I've voted many times, and only once have I had to wait more than a few seconds. That was on the day of the Scottish devolution referendum in '97. We had three elections at the same time, which might have slowed people down a bit. Even then, I only had to wait for five minutes or less.

Yet we see stories on TV about Americans queuing for hours and hours. Frankly, I'd give up and go home. I know some of you have Senate or House of Representatives elections at the same time, and maybe others. But I struggle to see how that can possibly account for the difference.

Do you just not have enough polling stations?

And what would happen if turnout was really high, 80% or 90%?

[sapphire]

They are predicting 73% turnout in Massachusetts. The usual turnout is about 38%. I went to vote around 10am this morning and there was a line. I waited about 5 minutes. Everyone was jovial and chatting about this and that. My usual wait at voting time is about 30-45 seconds. Things were set up nicely and the line moved right along. I attribute the wait time in this town to lack of equpiment and space. Our polling place is in the basement of the Catholic Church and there is just so much room. We have carousel like structures for filling in ballots and we only have so many of those. There are 4 clerks at entry, 2 for each precinct in our 2 precinct town and the same for checkout. There is only one machine that collects ballots.

Now if volume would warrant, we could have two polling places, one for each precinct. One could remain at the Catholic Church and one could be at the Congregational Church across the street. The town can't afford to buy more carousels, but tables could eb set up in such a way as to ensure privacy. The one expense to the twon would be the purchase another machine to collect the ballots.

Overall in this little town there would not be a need to expand the facilities because the only volume occurs when there is a Presidental election.

Now there is some debate as to whether some municipalities are making it harder for people to vote, but I don't see that as being the case here.

[Taj]

I don't understand it either. We have early voting or mail in ballots in many places. I voted a couple of weeks ago. It was so easy I went back several more times.

[crfriend]

I just got back from voting, and it took me longer in traffic to find a parking-spot than I spent in line *and* voting. I was assisted in this case by having made my decisions beforehand, knew potential answers to any "surprises" on the ballot, and the actual number of options being rather limited.

Some jurisdictions had over 60 or 70 questions on the ballot in addition to the spots to mark for whatever politicians you wanted to elect. Those things are nightmares if people don't prepare for them and, put bluntly, bring notes, and it's those places that wind up with insanely long queues outside them. In Massachusetts we were fortunate to have only three.

[Jack Williams]

What can all these 60-odd questions possibly be? Sometimes at election time here they add in a referendom on something like liquer prohibition or whatever, but 60??
PS: And who did you vote for?..

[crfriend]

What can all these 60-odd questions possibly be?

I think it was California, but many states in the USA allow what are known as "ballot referendums" on proposed laws that are presented directly to the electorate for ratification or defeat. In practise, these are all "non-binding", meaning that the will of the voters is not legally valid as the proposed laws then need to get passed through the courts.

PS: And who did you vote for?..

I voted for the slowest rate-of-change for the middle class in the United States, for an acquaintance of mine for State office, and in favour of the three state-law propositions moved on the ballot.

I am in a self-imposed news blackout at the moment. I'll read about the results in the morning if I do not hear them on the radio news during my morning commute. At the national level, the outcome is preordained; the only variable is the rate of change. At the local level, it's a bit more interesting and potentially hopeful.

[the_scott_meister]

I spent about 10 minutes today (plus travel, etc.), but I'd prepared in advance so that I knew what I was voting for. We had about a dozen ballot propositions and I'd reserached them all. In Arizona a publicly initiated ballot proposition is legally binding, unless it's challenged on a legal basis. They don't need to be ratified or signed by the Governor. That sometimes does cause problems when it's against Federal law, such as the recent passage of the marijuana legalization prop. Even though it was voted in the majority (but not by me and certainly a VERY thin majority), those participating in it as still subject to arrest by Federal authorities. In fact, I was just reading today that it would take an amendment to the Arizona Constitution in order to reverse one of these, so we've got to be very careful about what we vote for. It might bite us.

[phathack]

On our ballots there were Federal, State, County & City elections and referendums there where like 25 items to vote on.
For some reason some people take 25 to 30 minutes to complete the ballot.
I was out in less than 5 minutes.

[Jack Williams]

Just been following the election on this computer. I now understand how it can take a while for someone to make their vote, with all the referendums on the ballot. I go plus on the pot and gay marriage, I think those are pretty much settled things overall. Pity we didn't have a few more things on our ballot.

[Jack Williams]

What can all these 60-odd questions possibly be?

I think it was California, but many states in the USA allow what are known as "ballot referendums" on proposed laws that are presented directly to the electorate for ratification or defeat. In practise, these are all "non-binding", meaning that the will of the voters is not legally valid as the proposed laws then need to get passed through the courts.

PS: And who did you vote for?..

I voted for the slowest rate-of-change for the middle class in the United States, for an acquaintance of mine for State office, and in favour of the three state-law propositions moved on the ballot.

I am in a self-imposed news blackout at the moment. I'll read about the results in the morning if I do not hear them on the radio news during my morning commute. At the national level, the outcome is preordained; the only variable is the rate of change. At the local level, it's a bit more interesting and potentially hopeful.

Sounds like we'd be on the same page for the main man.

[Jack Williams]

This matters to us in the far reaches, because whoever is the President of the USA is in reality the President of the world. Let's just say that I am really chuffed.

[Ray]

Phew. Sigh of relief here.

[Charlie]

Phew. Sigh of relief here.

Hear hear. I wonder if the USA gets as much coverage of the UK elections as we do of the US elections?
Charlie

[crfriend]

I wonder if the USA gets as much coverage of the UK elections as we do of the US elections?

Historically, no, but if we're curious there are always ways to get news thereof.

This year's election has been absolutely suffocating; one simply could not get away from the incessant political adverts, many of which were blatant lies. Then there were the candidates for office who should not have been allowed to stand. I am very glad it's over, although it's only "over" for another two or three years and then we're going to be back in the thick of it again.

[Grok]

This time around Seattle used a different system: I was sent a ballot to fill out at home. Next, I put the ballot into one of the two envelopes included, an anonymous security enveloped; then I put this into an autographed envelope, and dropped it off at the public library.