Why Do Nonwhite Georgia Voters Have To Wait In Line For Hours? Too Few Polling Places

[The Mark]

Why Do Nonwhite Georgia Voters Have To Wait In Line For Hours? Too Few Polling Places

The state's voter rolls have grown by nearly 2 million since the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in 2013, but polling locations have been cut by almost 10%.

www.npr.org

Almost all of the states that are purging voter rolls, closing voting locations, and aggressively reducing mail-in voting drop-boxes are the states with Republican legislatures.

One huge benefit of flipping the US Senate will be the ability of a Democrat controlled Congress to amend the Voting Rights Act so that none of the federal oversight provisions are unconstitutional.

Republicans get better results when less people vote.
So they will do everything they can get away with to suppress the vote.

 

[The Mark]

Is waiting in a line a civil rights issue now, too? I have had to wait in line for hours to vote before. It sucks, but I would hardly consider it a form of voter suppression.

When the line is unreasonably long because some elected official decided there would be too few voting machines, drop boxes, or what have you, yes.

If it's just long because the turnout was unexpected, then no.

But this isn't unexpected, so it is an issue.

 

[Patriotic Voter]

Almost all of the states that are purging voter rolls, closing voting locations, and aggressively reducing mail-in voting drop-boxes are the states with Republican legislatures.

One huge benefit of flipping the US Senate will be the ability of a Democrat controlled Congress to amend the Voting Rights Act so that none of the federal oversight provisions are unconstitutional.

This is not new. The Voting Rights Act was supposed to fix it, but Republicans have ignored the law ever since it passed. All they care about is voter suppression to win elections, knowing it benefits Democrats. Remember Republicans are responsible for taking away all voting rights for people without state ID cards, which affects people who do not have permanent homes. Republicans also wanted to reduce the number of early voting days in some states. This is not just about closing polling places - which of course is a huge problem for people who are in poverty and/or have disabilities. Why are they doing this? BECAUSE THEY DO NOT CARE. It is one reason I am and always will be a Democrat.

 

[Lovebug]

Why Do Nonwhite Georgia Voters Have To Wait In Line For Hours? Too Few Polling Places

The state's voter rolls have grown by nearly 2 million since the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in 2013, but polling locations have been cut by almost 10%.

www.npr.org

Almost all of the states that are purging voter rolls, closing voting locations, and aggressively reducing mail-in voting drop-boxes are the states with Republican legislatures.

One huge benefit of flipping the US Senate will be the ability of a Democrat controlled Congress to amend the Voting Rights Act so that none of the federal oversight provisions are unconstitutional.

Around here it is a matter of funds as well as lack of poll workers. They country is mostly white, people stand in line, don't complain much. Of course if one tried hard enough, one could find a person of darker skin having to wait a bit longer than a paler person.

 

[Crossfire]

When the line is unreasonably long because some elected official decided there would be too few voting machines, drop boxes, or what have you, yes.

If it's just long because the turnout was unexpected, then no.

But this isn't unexpected, so it is an issue.

What do you consider unreasonably long? Who gets to decide that? Where I went to vote, there was one voting machine, and I had to drive 20 minutes to get there. I did not go on the first day of early voting, so I did not have to wait in line. However, there was a line down the building as I walked out. None of our rights were violated, and they would not have been violated if I did have to wait in line for several hours.

 

[The Mark]

What do you consider unreasonably long? Who gets to decide that? Where I went to vote, there was one voting machine, and I had to drive 20 minutes to get there. I did not go on the first day of early voting, so I did not have to wait in line. However, there was a line down the building as I walked out. None of our rights were violated, and they would not have been violated if I did have to wait in line for several hours.

I consider a line you have to wait in more than an hour unreasonably long.

Personally, I think we should have an election week, or at least several day period, to spread out the available times to go vote.

Edit: And I'd like every state to have the mail-in ballot option.

If it's a concern, it can be done like PA, where you have to apply for/request a mail-in ballot.

 

[year2late]

Why do you assume that these people have to go during work hours? If they are working every hour that a polling place is open every week, then they are not going to be unable to afford taking a day off to vote, even if they are working minimum wage.

Plus, I do not really care if places want to have mail-in ballots, but be careful what you wish for. Do not assume that all mail-in ballots are going to go your way.

You prove my point. Taking two hours off is substantially different than taking a full day off to vote.

In this day and time going into a polling place should not take more than an hour. Otherwise it should be mail in voting if they cannot assure that.

 

[Patriotic Voter]

What do you consider unreasonably long? Who gets to decide that? Where I went to vote, there was one voting machine, and I had to drive 20 minutes to get there. I did not go on the first day of early voting, so I did not have to wait in line. However, there was a line down the building as I walked out. None of our rights were violated, and they would not have been violated if I did have to wait in line for several hours.

That is the whole point! Do you know ANYTHING about many registered voters being unable to drive or buy cars?

 

[Acadia]

Boo hoo. I waited 3 hours.
Stop insulting black people and telling them they're incapable of NOT being victims.

 

[Deuce]

Is waiting in a line a civil rights issue now, too? I have had to wait in line for hours to vote before. It sucks, but I would hardly consider it a form of voter suppression.

It is absolutely a form of voter suppression, what planet do you live on?

 

[Deuce]

Boo hoo. I waited 3 hours.
Stop insulting black people and telling them they're incapable of NOT being victims.

Let’s just make it a law that all white people must wait six hours to vote. No big deal, right?

 

[Deuce]

Wasn't it Biden himself encouraging early voting?

This is what happens?

Do you think Biden encouraged strategically closing polling stations to make sure black people have to wait longer than white people, on average? Is that what you think happened?

 

[George50]

Is waiting in a line a civil rights issue now, too? I have had to wait in line for hours to vote before. It sucks, but I would hardly consider it a form of voter suppression.

Of course it’s voter suppression if it is designed to make it harder for one party to vote than another. You also don’t seem to understand that some people have to work for a living and can’t stand in line for hours.

 

[Deuce]

So, it is not a voting rights issue. It is a voting ease issue.

Voting ease issues become voting rights issues when you intentionally make them bad enough.

Again I propose: make a law that says all white people must wait six hours to vote.

 

[Deuce]

Of course it’s voter suppression if it is designed to make it harder for one party to vote than another. You also don’t seem to understand that some people have to work for a living and can’t stand in line for hours.

“Just take the entire day off work to engage in what is supposed to be the most fundamental right we have in this country” is like the epitome of white privilege.

 

[Helix]

making it hard to vote is a scumbag move.

 

[PeteEU]

That 11 hours was one place, on the first day of early voting. There are three weeks of early voting. If the line is too long on one day, try another day. Places are usually really busy the first day, and going on the first day is a choice. Another factor you failed to mention is the sudden popularity of early voting. It may come as a surprise to you, but when the number of people that are voting early increases by a factor of ten, there is a good chance that the wait is going to be a little longer.

So what if it was one day... are you saying the next day there was at best an hours waiting time (which is still too long)? Stop making excuses for deliberate voter suppression. No one should spend more than 1 hour at peak time in line to get to vote.. If you stand longer, then your government has not provided enough voting booths and polling stations and then you have to ask.. why?

 

[RetiredUSN]

Why Do Nonwhite Georgia Voters Have To Wait In Line For Hours? Too Few Polling Places

The state's voter rolls have grown by nearly 2 million since the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in 2013, but polling locations have been cut by almost 10%.

www.npr.org

Almost all of the states that are purging voter rolls, closing voting locations, and aggressively reducing mail-in voting drop-boxes are the states with Republican legislatures.

One huge benefit of flipping the US Senate will be the ability of a Democrat controlled Congress to amend the Voting Rights Act so that none of the federal oversight provisions are unconstitutional.

Are we pretending that democrat officials in these areas have no control over the situation?

Are they this inept?

 

[Luther]

Do you think Biden encouraged strategically closing polling stations to make sure black people have to wait longer than white people, on average? Is that what you think happened?

So I see you didn't address my point

 

[Luther]

No. It didn't happen in majority white areas. This is red state voter suppression.

Did you ever think about the Majority of whites(conservative) are going to later vote for Trump?

*sigh*

 

[Rogue Valley]

Did you ever think about the Majority of whites(conservative) are going to later vote for Trump?

*sigh*

Is this your "gut" feeling Donald?

 

[Eatomus]

Who you Callin a non- pigmentated, sucka !

 

[jmotivator]

Why Do Nonwhite Georgia Voters Have To Wait In Line For Hours? Too Few Polling Places

The state's voter rolls have grown by nearly 2 million since the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in 2013, but polling locations have been cut by almost 10%.

www.npr.org

Almost all of the states that are purging voter rolls, closing voting locations, and aggressively reducing mail-in voting drop-boxes are the states with Republican legislatures.

One huge benefit of flipping the US Senate will be the ability of a Democrat controlled Congress to amend the Voting Rights Act so that none of the federal oversight provisions are unconstitutional.

People are in long lines because they want to be. GA opened for early voting 46 days early, meaning each and every person in line has AT LEAST 46 opportunities to get in line, and they chose to get in line when the line was long.

Compare that to the traditional method where everyone voted on election day and you should, in theory, see how utterly stupid your argument is.

 

[Crossfire]

I consider a line you have to wait in more than an hour unreasonably long.

Personally, I think we should have an election week, or at least several day period, to spread out the available times to go vote.

Edit: And I'd like every state to have the mail-in ballot option.

If it's a concern, it can be done like PA, where you have to apply for/request a mail-in ballot.

Early voting is like having an election month. I find it unreasonable to be expected to believe that someone cannot find the time to vote in a months time.

 

[Crossfire]

That is the whole point! Do you know ANYTHING about many registered voters being unable to drive or buy cars?

Should there be a polling place within walking distance of every person, just in case they do not have a car or a license? We have to start being realistic. With a country of 330,000,000 million people, some are going to have to travel more than a few blocks to vote.