Why Do Only Some People Have to Wait to Vote?

by: Jeff Gardner

Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 06:04:18 PM EST

I live in a suburban North Jersey town that historically has been Republican-leaning. Even yesterday, McCain won the town over Obama by about 5%. Turnout was huge, as it appears to have been all over the state. I arrived at my poll to vote at 6:15a. I was done in less under 5 minutes. Having taken the day off from work to volunteer in town all day, I know the polls were very busy, and that turnout will end up in the 85%-90% range. Yet, nowhere in my town of almost 20,000 did anyone ever wait more than 15 minutes to vote.

When I arrived to work today, my friend who lives in Jersey City reported that she had to wait 3 hours to vote. I've read and heard of similar stories that happened elsewhere, invariably in urban areas, of up to 4 and 5 hour waits to vote. You don't need to be Crazy Eddie to know that's insane!!! I'm not sure even I would wait that long.

Whenever I hear reporting or discussions about long lines at the polls, I hear talk of "enthusiasm" as the explanation. As if the 90% turnout in my suburban town isn't sufficiently enthusiastic.

No. It isn't enthusiasm that causes disproportionately long wait times for voting in urban areas - it's too few voting machines! Here's a solution: put more voting machines in places where there are 3 hour waits.

This kind of thing takes time, and sneaks up on election officials each year. So, like day after Christmas shopping for cards and decorations, I thought I'd take this moment to rant.

You may now return to your regular programming.

Jeff Gardner :: Why Do Only Some People Have to Wait to Vote?

Tags: Election Integrity, Voting, (All Tags)

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Why Do Only Some People Have to Wait to Vote? | 3 comments

If you dont mind Jeff I'll dig a little deeper (4.00 / 1)

The Superintendent of election is in charge of disbursing voting machines, Thats Carmine Cacsiano in Essex, his boss used to be the AG Peter Harvey, but now that we have a Sec. of State in NJ, (Name of Mills IIRC). So the NJ SOS is really in charge of disbursing voting machines, SOS mills was appointed by Corzine.

Additionally IIRC disbursing voting machines is supposed to be based on the previous fed election voter registration numbers, that would be 2006, and since 2006, dem registration has gone up, big time, so we wait.

WE really need to fix some of our democratic problems here in NJ or the Governors Mansion is going to have a republican in it next time.

Another position that is vital is County Clerk. In Essex we published supplimental poll books, in Morris they never do. 1500 people couldnt vote in Morris for the June primary. And it might be as high as 3000 yesterday

The best thing we can do for the state is to target each republican County Clerk for defeat.

Check out my 3 paragraph primer on Polywell Fusion.

by: FogerRox @ Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 23:23:32 PM UTC

by: you @ soon

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We beat one in Burlington County last night (4.00 / 2)

And it's funny because when he won, I asked if it meant I'd be able to get election results next year because Burlington County was painful to get results from.

by: Jason Springer @ Wed Nov 05, 2008 at 23:26:12 PM UTC

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