Me: Ireland - Approximately 2 minutes until poll in hand is the longest.
I’ve been seeing long lines for the US elections even for early voting. Seems completely unnecessary.
I remember rushing home, changing out of my uniform and jumping in line at the local library… and I stood there for like 4-6 hours in the freezing cold. Rosario Dawson, the actress, actually came by with donuts, back before the republicans outlawed providing food and water to people in voting lines. I actually took a picture of my wife with her, she was so kind. My wife and I were taking turns hiding in the car to stay warm, and saving a place in line. I couldn’t believe how cold and how long the line was. The shitty thing was that it was also extremely windy, the cold bit hard.
This was Atlanta, GA probably for the Biden/Trump election in 2020. I’ve voted early ever since, I walk in and out within like 15 minutes now. I’m not doing 4-6 hour lines ever again.
Edit: poll workers actually came out and designated someone as the last voter, and we stayed in line well past the normal close time. But, they had to get the last person who showed up before close.
poll workers actually came out and designated someone as the last voter
I did wonder about this. That’s cool to know and seems like a fair way to run it if you’re in the line before the station closes. Thanks for the insight.
Awesome about Rosario Dawson too!
The shitty thing is, the long lines are by design. Election officials are regularly closing polling locations in inner cities because ‘they don’t have the funding to keep so many open’, when the state government chooses not to fund them. Rural areas have always had quick in-and-out voting merely due to how many people they’re providing for. While increasing the wait times at inner city polling places causes some voters to either not get the chance to vote because either they’re not allowed to at some point, or the extra votes aren’t sent up because they were too late… or it causes people to go home instead of wait in the freezing cold ass line for 4-6 hours. Some people were complaining about 8 hour lines that year.
They cheat to win however they can.
They cheat to win however they can.
From the outside looking it it does appear that way but it seems so…un-American. I’ve spent a decent bit of time over there over the course of my life (north of 6 months total, mostly up and down both coasts) and I’m genuinely very fond of the US and its people and that has given me this internal sense of what “un-American” is if that isn’t a ludicrous statement.
The whole “rig things to your advantage” thing is really mask off at this point and I’m surprised that it’s tolerated.
It’s by state, and would never be tolerated where I live.
Unfortunately it seems to be a systemic issue with certain states. At one point several had federally monitored elections to prevent shenanigans but I don’t know if that’s true anymore
Maybe 5 minutes in Germany
10 or so minutes once, I came there at the busiest time. Czechia.
7 hours. People were showing up with pizza and sandwiches for everyone in line. It really destroyed my faith in my local government but built my sense of community.
I think you hold the record so far!
Edit: also fair play to you for sticking it out.
20 seconds, Germany. Waiting while they checked if my name was on the list.
About 2-3 minutes. Canada.
15 mins in AU. I thought I’d try to get it over and done with in the morning… so did everyone else.
~1 minute here in Austria, usually it takes longer to find the right room than to wait in line when I’ve found it
About 15 minutes, this morning in Wilmington, NC. In previous elections here, I’ve walked in and voted immediately, with no line
I’m gonna grasp at that being positive. My favourite band at a ripe old age, Sylvan Esso, are from NC.
I discovered Sylvan Esso a few days ago and they are fantastic.
Also, The Dø
Thanks will check then out.
If you get the chance, Sylvan Esso are incredible live. Seen them a few times now.
30min in Malaysia in the morning, before the weather get hot. Afterward i’ve heard it’s 5 to 10min. Some people line up for an hour or so on polling station serving larger population.
The longest for me was about 30 seconds. Coincidentally about as much as sex.
What a weird thing to say
Weird times require weird communication.
Maybe 30 to 45 minutes in Merritt Island, Florida, back in 2004.
It was my first time voting, and I went with my parents after they were home from work, so it’s likely that that was the longest anyone there waited.
I’ve lived all over central Florida since, and have never had to wait at all, but that’s mostly because I do Early Voting or even Vote By Mail now.
I had to queue for about 5 minutes for the EU referendum in the UK.
Yeah, but you lot like queueing, like it’s the national pastime.
We are the World Champions at it.
Maybe 2-5mins, if they had to sort something out first with a person in front of me
Usually I go in, have a line of 2-3 people at most, and just tell my name and address, go vote and I’m usually done in like 5mins altogether - 10-15mins for the process is already something I’ve never experienced and would pretty much get to my nerves…
(Austria)
About the same here. (Finland)
10 minutes max in a couple different cities in Kansas, USA, in more that a dozen elections.
That is how it should be everywhere with in person polling locations.
