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How the fuck does the US manage to make people stand in line for early voting?
In every civilized country, you can show up on election day (when basically everyone has a free day cause it's Sunday), you vote with maybe 3-4 people in line before you, and you're done after 10 minutes.
Well you see, the point is to prevent people from voting.
The people's will gets in the way of the will of the Oligarchs, religious leaders, and Plutocrats. Hence the effort to make it hard to vote.
This is what happens in some Republican controlled states when they limit the times and places and how people can vote. Trump said a few years ago that if minorities vote, Republicans will never win another election. So Republican controlled states started getting rid of polling stations and changing voting times to standard working hours, etc, knowing that people wouldn't be able to take time off from work to stand in the now longer lines (due to fewer polling stations) or would want to stand in longer lines.
Plus, election day is not a national holiday like it is in most other countries, so people don't get the day off to vote. Though some companies give 3 or 4 hours paid time off strictly for voting.
It is working as designed, since it is meant to discourage people from voting. The less voter participation the better results for Republicans.
I don't know took us almost an hour to vote.
Hello, fellow Okie.
I know how this state is going to vote. It's been a given every year for nearly six decades. But I'm still gonna vote, as I have in every election since I turned 18. Change doesn't happen if those who want it get discouraged and sit their asses at home.
What has really inspired me this year is the overwhelming majority of Harris-Walz signs in my neighborhood. I stopped counting, but I reckon there are at least thirty of them. I've seen a grand total of five Trump-Vance signs, and three of them are at the same house.
Also, you get much rain last night? It was so good to finally hear thunder again. I had six tenths in my rain gauge this morning!
Update: I stood in line for an hour and a half and cast my ballot. Next time around, I'll remember to request my mail-in ballot on time lol
I'd be very happy just to see Oklahoma actually wait until the polls close to declare the republican presidential win...
I swear every year, they decide it so early I am convinced the electors don't even care what the vote counts are. There is no fucking way backwards as fuck Oklahoma figured out a way to accurately track and count votes faster than any other state - and voter turnout would need to be so high they know it can't possibly turn around in the last 2 hours of the polls still being open? Yea right.
Wow another Okie!
Crazy storms in the Tulsa area for us btw. And probably why I also see Harris Walz signs. We're about to get a Democrat for a mayor!
It's weird seeing queues for voting.
When I vote, I walk to my local voting place, chat with people I know, vote, chat a bit more, then walk home. Perhaps half an hour, if I'm feeling chatty.
This is what voter suppression looks like.
I grew up in Missouri before moving to Washington state. When I reached voting age, it was (and still is) ridiculously common to see polling places in rural and suburban areas with no waiting to vote. Meanwhile, in the cities (which happen to vote more democratic), you’ll see loooong lines extending outside. When voting facilities and staff are not proportionally distributed to accommodate voter density, you get shit like this; voters in different districts receiving different treatment. And people who live there never know any better to ask for something different.
This all blew my mind after living first in a suburban area, then an urban one, and now living in a state that has done voting my mail for decades. I love voting by mail. It’s unconcionable to me at this point for people to stand for in-person voting anymore.
Don't worry. Either way, there will still be elections. The real question is whether we start to see candidates "accidentally" falling out of windows or drinking poisoned tea, etc.
Well they better be careful how far they push it, or else the super PAC leaders, the thinktanks, and the 1% are going to start dieing in interesting ways.
Weird, in my conservative and high income county it took me literally five minutes at the library.
The system works as intended
Same. In my conservative and low income county it took me longer to drive to and from the location than it did to actually vote.
Jeez I have voted by mail for every election I've participated in. That looks miserable.
If Republicans get their way, voting by anything other than in-person on election day will be banned.
Also, voting in-person on election day will be banned.
I've never stood in like for early voting in the EU. I've done it at my supermarket while getting groceries.
Grab a ballot and envelope, enter booth, do the thing, walk to desk, flash id, get crossed off list, watch volunteer put your envelope in another envelope and drop it in the ballot box.
In-and-out, three minutes.
Come to think of it, voting on election day has always been just as smooth. I just have to go to the library or some school, so it's not as convenient.
The press has already walked back at the threat of Trump, so the autocracy has already begun. It’s happening, pre election.
It will be the last election in this version of America. The problem is that Trump may legitimately win this election. Voters, a majority, may he causing this.
What then? What if it is the last election in this version of America, and Trump wins legitimately? What does the left do if this happens? How much will you watch the country change? Will you be strong enough in your convictions to resist passification? Mental, and or physical passification, and/or political deactivation?
There will be forces at play trying to make you forget. Move on. Adopt the new normal. Go with it, just for now - because it's not that bad for you. Will you be strong enough to resist that urging?
What will the future hold under Trump? Who knows. But I do know, this is a terrifying comment to have to write.
Well, ya know what Grammy always said:
Hope in one hand, shit in the other, and see which one fills up faster...
