If you're voting on election day, how long do you expect to wait?

[Bertha Venation]

This isn't an opening salvo in another it-shouldn't-be-this-hard-to-vote screed. I'm just curious.

How long do you expect to wait?

Polls in MD open at 7:00. I'm getting there at 6:00 and don't expect to be checked in before 8:00. Edit: This will be unusual. There is usually little or no wait for me, and I always go when the polls open.

[OKNancy]

1. I usually go mid-morning

no wait where I vote.. maybe 5 minutes

[RoccoR5955]

2. They will have to wait for me...

I open the polls in town. Went to get the keys this morning!
Gotta hang around from 5AM to 11PM, or at least be available. Long day for me.

[Bertha Venation]

25. OMG, that is a thankless job. And it'll be the hardest one of your

poll-worker career, I'll bet.

Good, good luck to you.

Thanks for staffing the polls. People don't understand how much we depend on you folks.

[RoccoR5955]

41. Not a poll worker, election custodian.

Here in NY we have the old lever machines, which have to be setup before, and broken down after the elections. If something goes wrong, I have to be nearby, so that they can be repaired. It's just a part time thing. I give whatever money I make back to my party. It's the least I can do, as far as giving back to the community.

[BadgerKid]

3. First thing in the morning, 15 min. n/t

[tomnjoy]

4. Usually no wait...

I honestly don't know WHAT to expect this year. In all previous years we've never had to wait. It's always been about 15 minutes to get in and get out. I'm mentally preparing myself for at least a couple hour wait, just in case. Of course I'll wait as long as it takes!!

[alsame]

5. I've never had to wait more than 15-20 minutes in the past, but I

really don't know what to expect on Tuesday because I expect a huge turnout. I have to take my mom this year and she has severe arthritis in her legs and can't stand too long without experiencing a lot of pain. Hopefully if the lines are long I can stand in place while she sits in the car and waits until it's our turn to vote.

[blaze]

21. Can you take a folding chair with you? n/t

[alsame]

36. It wasn't allowed during the primary voting, but I guess I should

call the polling place and ask again. Or maybe I should request a wheelchair if they have one on site.

[blaze]

38. Calling is a great idea

I can't imagine them not allowing a chair for someone who needs it.

[Xipe Totec]

6. 20 minutes

Judging by how long it took the last time.

I was actually in line a few places behind Governor Deval Patrick.

[freestyle]

7. In 2004, in MD, I waited 20 minutes. Maybe 30 minutes this time.

I also get there by 7:00 a.m., and I'm usually in and out fairly quickly.

[dsomuah]

8. I had a five hour early voting wait in GA

And the poll workers are predicting longer waits on election day.

[fizzgig]

9. i'm in n. colorado and my county clerk and recorder told people to pack a lunch if they vote on tues

which is exactly why i voted early

[ieoeja]

10. I expect 5 minutes.

Heck, if every registered voter in the precinct showed up five seconds before me I would expect it to take no more than two or three hours. But then Chicago has LOTS of precincts.

[Ozma]

11. We have paper ballots and a scanner machine, 8 booths, and

about 4000 people who vote from 7 AM to 8 PM.

I doubt we will have a wait of more than a few minutes for any of us. I vote early, like before noon, or maybe before 9 AM.

The crowds are at 7:30 AM and 5 PM, working Democrats and a few stray working Republicans. During the mid day, no one votes except us retired folks and mothers/fathers without a job.

[Pisces]

12. however long it takes, doesn't matter. I'm voting for Obama rain or shine!!

[Voice for Peace]

13. Normally no longer than about 30 min. If it's a long wait this year, I won't mind!

It will be a great sign, in this D Maryland neighborhood.

[cali]

14. There won't be a wait in my tiny town

I'll walk in, they'll check off my name and hand me a big ol' paper ballot. I'll take it to one of the cheesy cardboard voting stations, make my Xs and then deposit it in the old wooden ballot box that's been used for the last hundred years or so.

[theboss]

15. 15 minutes or so

Northern Virginia so there is high turnout. But we are rich so there are plenty of machines.

[kimmylavin]

16. Here's where I get lucky...

I live in a rural town, and I vote in someone's garage.
Our whole town has about 500 people total, so let's say 200 - 250 voters.

I park, vote, chat with the workers for a few minutes, and hit the road.
5 minutes, tops - and we have paper ballots!

[leftynyc]

17. I'm there when the polls open in NY

6AM - I've never waited more than 5 minutes.

[Occam Bandage]

18. I've never once had to wait more than two minutes to vote. So, you know, maybe ten minutes.

[WeDidIt]

19. I'll be at the door at 6:00 AM

I expect no more than a 30 minute wait.

[iamthebandfanman]

20. ill probably have to wait all of 30 seconds while they reset the machine. n/t

[high density]

22. Polls open at 7, I'll get there at around 7

I expect the wait will probably be 5 minutes max, though I have never voted in a presidential election here before.

[SalviaBlue]

23. No waiting. 8AM. at a church in Central CA

[99th_Monkey]

24. Oregon. Vote-by-mail. NO waiting whatsoever, and loving it. ~nt~

[pansypoo53219]

26. i'm working the morning sift of the polls.

plan on voting after. hope not too long as it is a white area and there are like 6 or so voting places.

[Bertha Venation]

35. thank you, too, pansypoo

Working the polls is a tough and thankless job.

[gypsylud]

27. 5 min

small town america. gotta love it.

[scheming daemons]

28. I'm in a red county, so no time at all...

[last1standing]

29. Not long but then I live in a suburb.

I will be offered working machines with a paper trail, short lines - if any, and possibly even a worker handing out coffee if it's a cold day. Meanwhile, just a couple miles down the road, in Detroit, there will be long lines, malfunctioning machines, and little comfort for those who must wait for hours.

What a country, huh?

[bobbert]

30. wait? not me

Since the last census here they have torn down a bunch of apartment buildings

In 2004 and 2006, I just walked in and out while there were lines for every other precinct at the same voting site. I'm expecting the same thing this year.

edit: I went first thing in the morning for primaries this year so I didn't see any lines that time around.

[Terran]

31. 10-15 minutes

I live in a relatively small town (45,000) so long lines are somewhat unlikely. Although I do recall voting in 2004, after work, and waited probably 45 minutes to an hour.

[Doityourself]

32. 5 minutes 20 tops n/t

[Blue_In_AK]

33. Probably not too long.

Our polling place is just down the street. We've always gotten in and out quickly. I doubt that this year will be much different. It was reported this morning though that early voting here has been brisk. Since there are only two places in town where you can early vote, they've been pretty packed.

http://www.adn.com/front/story/573971.html

We didn't vote early because there was some question that Obama's name was at the fold on the early ballots and there was fear that votes for him wouldn't be correctly read by the machines. It's now been confirmed as of yesterday that everything's working okay.

[Lance_Boyle]

34. I usually go very near closing time, so I can see

the total number of ballots scanned on the one scan machine in my precinct. Gives me a great idea of how turnout has been. Don't know if I'll be able to hold out that long this time, as a mid-afternoon appointment that day will have me passing by my polling place early. Whatever time I go, though, I expect little to no line. My precinct is tiny, which is fortunate, 'cuz it's also very red.

[Kitty Herder]

37. 15 minutes at the most. nt

[billyoc]

39. Hell's Kitchen, NYC. Musician Union's hall on W. 48th St.

As near as I can tell, that polling place is set up just for me. I have never seen another soul vote there since '02. Twenty poll workers and me, that's it. :shrug:

[ladyVet]

40. Well, if it's anything like last time, about an hour.

My precinct is a rural area, so we usually don't have much of a wait, so long as the machines all work.
But, since we have a large black population, it could be longer. And I won't mind a bit.

I tried to talk my mother into voting today, but she said she'd rather wait until Tuesday. :shrug: