Long lines in Florida for early voting. Voters getting discouraged and frustrated

[rhombus]

In Miami-Dade, the lines have been even longer. Wait times range from 30 minutes to six hours. The North Miami library has had such long waits that Haitian-American advocates held a news conference Wednesday to protest the “disenfranchisement.”

In Aventura, police officers waved away potential voters who couldn’t find parking spots. A county commissioner resorted to enlisting a staffer, to shuttle voters by van from distant parking lots to the polls.

And Miami Gardens had such long lines that former Gov. Charlie Crist, a President Obama campaign proxy, appeared and urged his successor, Gov. Rick Scott, to extend the length of early voting hours countywide. Crist did that in 2008, helping Obama win Florida.

“You cannot believe the line out here right now, it’s phenomenal,” Crist said. Of extending the number of early-voting hours or days, Crist said: “It’s just the right thing to do.”

Scott, a supporter of Republican Mitt Romney, probably won’t extend in-person early voting, which ends Saturday night.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/10/31/v-fullstory/3076721/long-lines-delayed-absentee-ballots.html

Florida is turning into a mess thanks to GOP cutting early voting hours. FL Dems should file suit to have early voting extended to Sunday.

[yellowcanine]

1. Maryland extended the hours to 9 pm and added a day (Friday) because of time lost due to Sandy.

Of course Maryland has a Democratic voter who wants to make it easier for everyone to vote.

[littlemissmartypants]

2. Kick and rec...

[earthside]

3. Pres. Obama, Biden, Bill Clinton ...

... or some high profile Democrat ought to go down there and go to one of those sites and forcefully challenge the Florida government to open more polling places and extend hours.

Shame Rick Scott et al. --- if that is possible.

Good for Charlie Crist for doing what he did!

My hunch is that Florida is winnable if the people who want to vote are all allowed to vote.

[denese]

15. Florida was blue last Presidential elction

If the votes are counted I see no reason we can't win it again

[donnasgirl]

4. Don't worry

The unemployment line for scott isn't that far off.IT"S TIME TO TAKE THIS COUNTRY BACK FROM REPUBLICANS

[ProfessionalLeftist]

5. AND they have a 10-page ballot full of amendments, I understand? n/t

[LisaL]

8. Yes.

[Malikshah]

9. VOTE NO on each one!! All from Rep. Legisl. meant to

to gut monies from the local level and put into the hands of the wealthy.

League of Women Voters analysis says NO on all. Everyone I talk to, I let them know the details for these disgusting attempts to
further defile the state.

It was easy to go through and tick off no for each...didn't even read them. You don't play with the crap you find in a diaper, why play with the crap spewing from Tallahassee??

[EC]

6. Those still standing in line at closing time

still get to vote don't they? If so, camp out so the line never stops.

[denese]

13. yep

if you are in the line by six, you vote.

[LisaL]

7. And here in TX I early voted in five minutes.

[oswaldactedalone]

10. In Guilford County NC

I'm amazed at how many early voting locations there, something like 16 the first week and four more added this week. There are polling stations on the campuses of both state universities located here. My wife and I needed all of five minutes to vote and our employees said that's about how long it took them.

Early voting in NC is done right.

[smorkingapple]

11. This was all by design. Too many folks walk in unprepared for that long ass ballot.

I did my part by coming in knowing exactly who I was gonna vote for and how to vote on each amendment. In and out in 5 mins but most will not be prepared and spend 10-15 minutes trying to read all that shit.

[denese]

12. I voted today in Florida

Brevard county. I had to wait about an hour. A poll worker did tell a man who came in after me that the wait could be up to two hours and that guy left. A few people remarked about that.
They had a tv going and it just kept playing in a loop the number to call if you expected any kind of election fraud was going on. I thought that was good

[BelieveMe3]

14. In FLA-vote no on all but 4

4 will spur growth in our state. It will give a boost to the real estate market and in balance will be a good thing.

[doublethink]

16. ...

[Left Coast2020]

17. PLEASE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO STAY

Bring extra water/food to those waiting.

[MjolnirTime]

18. and yet, Obama will still win

[Sunlei]

19. Fort Bend County Texas early vote schedule, 7PM to early a cut-off time

Here is the schedule link. There was no wait at 11 am Wednesday, however a lot of working people are not even home at 7 PM. Texas citizens are not allowed mail-in ballots except for disabled,over age 65 or out of county every single day of early vote. Texas requires the ballot is mailed to the 'out of county' address.

http://www.co.fort-bend.tx.us/upload/images/elections_administration/ev_sched.pdf

America is in great NEED of a national vote policy that is fair and easy for all.