TEN hour lines for voting in Atlanta?

[unusualmusic_lj_archive]

Via: Steve Benen

I'm sorry but there is NO . EX. CUSE. Not in this country, the shining city on the hill in terms of democracy. or so we tell everyone else when we barge down into their countries with election observers. WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS? Why is it that more sites weren't open for early voting? Who in the HELL didn't anticipate that this election was gonna be huge? Seriously? 3 hours, maybe 4 I can understand. But TEN???? Ppl going to the polls at 4:30am to cast a vote at 8:00am???? Really? This is fucking ridiculous.


A Voting Disaster?

Suppose in your neighborhood there are 600 registered voters per machine, while across town there are only 120 per machine. (That's a 5 to 1 disparity, which is what exists in some places in Virginia today.) On Election Day, your line wraps around the block and looks to be a four-hour wait, while in other areas lines are nonexistent.

This ought to be a crime. It amounts to a "time-tax" on your right to vote, and some of your neighbors will undoubtedly give up and go home. This scenario raises three questions: Nationwide, will it discourage tens of thousands, or untold millions? Which presidential candidate and down-ballot candidates might benefit from this "tax"? And what can be done in the next few days?

Voting rights advocates, watching this slow-motion train wreck that could disenfranchise so many minority voters, have filed emergency litigation in Virginia and Pennsylvania demanding that, at the very least, officials be prepared with plenty of paper ballots and reserves of competent poll workers. More litigation may follow elsewhere.

Judges can hold official feet to the fire, but they shouldn't have to. Assigning blame -- whether the fingers are being pointed at Congress or the Justice Department, county registrars or state legislators -- isn't crucial this week. Neither is this the time to focus on the reasons for failure -- whether indifference, incompetence, indolence or animus. What's crucial is that state and local officials nationwide salvage the situation by implementing second-best strategies: For starters, redistribute machines on the basis of voter registration, instead of assuming that minorities won't show up. Stockpile paper ballots, under lock and key, and offer a paper ballot voting option if wait times reach 45 minutes. Train platoons of reserve poll workers and stand by to shuttle them where they are needed. Commit right now to holding the polls open late if necessary. Advertise what you're prepared to do. For heaven's sake, a lot of people bled for this opportunity.MORE

Also? Sunday voting so that more people can participate. Tuesday voting was set up to allow farmers in the 1800's to get the polls as it was the day most convenient to them. Times have changed. Get with the program. Also, standard voting laws across the country, make it a federal law, change the constitution if you have to, JAIL TIME for ANYONE convicted to fucking with the right to vote, and spend the tax dollars wisely and well to get properly trained election staff. This shit is a goddamn disgrace and its past time that the richest country in the world is able to run clean and fair elections.