Voting

[rhythmaning]

I have voted in every election I have been able to. It isn't that complex a procedure (apart from this one!): walk in, pick up a bit of paper, go into a cubicle, put a cross in a box. It has never taken more than a minute or two, and I have never had to queue.

There were pictures on tv yesterday of people queuing for four hours to cast their votes in "early voting" in the US Presidential elections, and the radio news had just described long queues to votes today, too.

Voters queuing in New York - picture from the BBC website (no photographer credited)

Could someone explain to me why voters in the US have to queue?

Comments

[lizziebelle.livejournal.com]

Well, the reason I had to this morning was that first I had to sign in, then fill out the ballot, then sign out, then put the ballot in the machine. A bunch of people got there before me, and since it takes time to do all this, we had to wait.

Everyone was in a cheerful mood, though, and I was in and out in under 20 minutes (possibly under 15; I didn't really look at the clock).

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

The BBC has been reporting queues of four hours or so - which seemed a bit extreme, especially since the people who organise the ballot have known it was coming for the last four years!

[lizziebelle.livejournal.com]

Part of the problem is that a lot more people are showing up to vote than in the past, and they're just not prepared to deal with such numbers. Which, hey, lots of people are voting! Yay! But also, long lines. I just hope people don't give up because of them. :)

[fiendish-cat.livejournal.com]

Definitely something different going on when you vote then - I don't think I've ever spent more than a couple of minutes, five at most, in the voting station - and that includes signing in, staring blankly for a bit still dithering over who to for, voting and putting the paper in the box.

But the most number of posts I've ever voted for in one go is I think three: MP, London Mayor, local councillor.

[fiendish-cat.livejournal.com]

I remember an American friend of mine explaining that they get to vote on pretty much everything ("down to the person in charge of the trash" was pretty much how she put it) - which means a lot more box ticking (or checking) than we get to do - all of which takes time I guess.

[filmstalker (from livejournal.com)]

To make a big show and fuss out of absolutely everything they do!

Although to be fair this is really very important.