Wilder wants to extend voting hours
This just came across our email from Press Secretary Linwood Norman: Today Mayor L. Douglas Wilder asked Virginia Governor Tim Kaine to extend polling hours on Election Day, as did Florida Charlie Crist yesterday. The Mayor requested that polls remain open for an additional three hours – to 10 p.m. on Election Day – in […]
This just came across our email from Press Secretary Linwood Norman:
Today Mayor L. Douglas Wilder asked Virginia Governor Tim Kaine to extend polling hours on Election Day, as did Florida Charlie Crist yesterday.
The Mayor requested that polls remain open for an additional three hours – to 10 p.m. on Election Day – in certain areas of the State where historic levels of voter turnout are expected.
“By all accounts, the presidential election of 2008 is expected to generate historic turnout, not only because of the significance of the race – the country’s opportunity to elect the first African-American president or the first woman to hold the office of vice-president – but also due to the record increase in voter registration.”
“The State Board of Elections and local registrars have been working tirelessly to prepare for the election and encourage absentee voting, but it is doubtful the current polling hours of 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. will accommodate the numbers of people in many areas of the State who will go to the polls on Tuesday.”
Thoughts?
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Notice: Comments that are not conducive to an interesting and thoughtful conversation may be removed at the editor’s discretion.
This should absolutely be the case.
I mean it makes sense. Particularly for people who have difficulties getting time off work or finding transportation.
It was easier when the working class didn’t get to vote.
According to RTD, the governor does not have the power to extend the polling hours. Well,then who in the heck does have the power. I think this will be vital. I truly believe the turn out in my area of town (Church Hill) will far exceed the turnout of previous years.
Tim Kaine said in RTD today that Richmond is more than prepared for the large turnout, and that we stand in line at Starbucks so we will be able to stand in lines at the polls (to paraphrase). I definitely think that the hours should be extended, though.
While in theory extending polling hours would be great, logistically (under the current process), it would not. I am an election officer for the City of Richmond. Anyone who works at the polls must arrive no later than 5:15 AM and CAN NOT LEAVE the assigned precinct until all votes are tallied and reported. On a light election, we generally do not leave until 9 PM (making for a 16 hour day). If the polling hours are extended, I would be working at least 19 hours and possibly longer.
I definitely believe that everyone should have more access to voting, but I would advocate early voting or the requirements for working at the polls need to change.
Maybe it’s more about making Election Day a national holiday than extending hours. And the point about standing in line is true – if you can stand in line for concert tickets or a Wii, you should have no trouble standing in line to vote.
I can’t imagine working at the polls. That has got to be one of the most stressful jobs ever.
A nineteen hour day FOR DEMOCRACY doesn’t sound too bad to me. Plus it is only a couple times a year at most.
I mean right?
Every election year, my sister-in-law, who lives in west Henrico off Gaskins, breezes in and out where she votes because the sea of open booths. She has never stood in a line. Where I vote at the eastend community center on 25th Street, we’re usually waiting in a line that spills out the front doors on down the sidewalk. Why? because there are only three booths. I hope they have more this year.
And, why is the line for the first half of the alphabet so much longer than the line for the second half of the alphabet? If there really are that many more people with last names that start with A through K, maybe they should break it up differently. Like A through F or something.
I went down to City Hall today for a non-voting visit to the registrar and was AMAZED to see all of the people waiting in line for absentee voting. The election folks were clearly working their proverbial tails off and the people in line I spoke with (as I assured them that I wasn’t cutting in to vote) had been waiting well over an hour. I asked the poll worker how this compared to regular elections and she said “there is nothing to compare this to.” Apparently it’s been like that every day, all day for some time. I’m sorry for the long waits that people have experienced and the waits that may lie ahead for us Election day voters, but it did give me chills to see such a crowd for the first time in my voting life. Democracy in action is an impressive thing.
I voted in-person absentee on Tuesday and was very impressed by the people working in the registrar’s office. They were extremely friendly and efficient. The majority of the people there with me were elderly and all of the registrar reps. were patient and helpful. Best of all, they all had great attitudes. Everyone seemed genuinely excited to see the turnout.
I was going to school everyone with the news that employers are required to give employees at least 3 hours off to vote on election day, however the Internet has informed me that Virginia is not one of those states.
Still, the presidential campaign has been happening for what feels like years and years, why wait until now to request that the polling hours get extended? Let’s all be late to work because we voted! We can apparently blame long lines.
Because they’ve had record numbers of voter registration!
Great comments all. I do give 19 hours FOR DEMOCRACY because I truly believe everyone who can vote should vote. I challenge others to also consider working at the polls.
On election day, I’m usually working at a polling place promoting a particular candidate or ballot initiative. By 10pm, my tired feet want to be up on the coffee table while I watch the returns. With a 10pm closing time, CNN will probably have already called it (unless California goes til 10pm too). Can we compromise on 8:30? Of course, as I type this, I’m aware that any limitation on voting disproportionately affects likely Obama voters. Have Republicans maneuvered to block this? Just curious.