VioletafloresFeb 12, 2023
Melanie Stefan
US friends, take note. I went to vote in Berlin today and this was the line in front of the polling station. “But wait! There is no line!” Indeed. There is no line because there need not be one. Because it’s about how polling is organised. If you are standing in a line for hours in order to exercise your democratic rights, it’s because someone wants you to.#polling #democracy #righttovote
Feb 12, 2023 at 10:51amWeb
Show threadelliot 🇩🇪 🇪🇺 🇬🇧 🏳️‍🌈Feb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan my polling station was a Gymnasium... They had a pride progress flag flying in the playground. This makes me happy!
Show threadPastaThiefFeb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan Yeah, I've never had a big lineup here in Canada either. Maybe six people tips, but usually just walking right in with no wait. I worked an election late last year, and there was a steady trickle of people but never a backlog.
Show threadSaanichGuy 🇨🇦🇨🇦Feb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan @PastaThief you never worked advance polls. I was the poll supervisor. Had two hour waits in 2015. One advance poll covering the area of 15 regular polling stations. Did that for four days.
Show threadPastaThiefFeb 12, 2023

@SaanichGuy Wow, that's a lot! I've gone to advance polls here and had brief waits, but nothing more than fix or six people. But maybe it depends on your area?

@melanieistefan

Show threadMordkoFeb 12, 2023
@SaanichGuy @melanieistefan @PastaThief of course. Happens everywhere. For lots of reasons. Its a typical social media conspiracy for notso bright. https://globalnews.ca/news/8206594/canada-election-line-polls-vote-wait/
Long lines plague polls across the country as voters try to cast their ballots

"I think it was about 45, maybe 50 minutes later from when we got in line to when we were inside," said one voter of the line while trying to vote in the Canada election Monday.

Global News
Show threadRichardFeb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan We know. It sucks.
Show threadCJ the Awkward LeftyFeb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan I live in a state that votes almost entirely by mail. My parents always voted by mail. When I was a kid I didn't even know voting booths still existed. It's a great system.
Show threadaresFeb 12, 2023

@melanieistefan

is this the same berlin election that's a do-over from 2021 because they didn't have enough ballots, polling places were closed, many voters couldn't get to the polls because of transportation failures, and there were still multi-hour long lines?

Show threadMelanie StefanFeb 12, 2023
@ares That’s why we are having a do-over
Show threadMishaFeb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan @ares So then it's maybe not the best occasion for schooling the US? 😬
Show threadWilfried KlaebeFeb 13, 2023
@MishaVelthuis @melanieistefan @ares Weeell... Has there ever been a do-over in the US because of such things?
Show threadAntonio Páez 🇲🇽🇨🇦Aug 10, 2023

@wonka @MishaVelthuis @melanieistefan @ares

Or a judicial coup because of hanging chads?

Show threadVerschlimmbessererFeb 13, 2023
@melanieistefan @ares At least this time it went more smoothly. Not having a marathon at the same time probably helped.
Show threadBirchFeb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan i live in a very red area, and except for 2016 primaries I've not had a line longer than like 4 people.
Show threadGustav WengelFeb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan Longest time I ever stood in line in Denmark was maybe twelve minutes.
Show threadBarbara MonacoFeb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan I 've lived in three US states, in urban, suburban and rural areas, and have never waited to vote. I acknowledge my privilege.
As another poster stated, lines occur when and where officials want them to.
Show threadShannonFeb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan In Canada it usually takes about 5-10 minutes to vote where I live. I don't think I've ever waited longer than that.
Show threadWolfram RittmeyerFeb 12, 2023

@melanieistefan Not sure if Berlin is the best example - given that they had to repeat the election.

Apart from that, though, I agree - at least for countries with low voter turnout.

Show thread⛧⛧⛧J.d.B.⛧⛧⛧Feb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan Although this polling happened because last time a lot of people were not able to vote due to long queues.


#righttovote #democracy #polling
Akkoma

Show threadMordkoFeb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan this is Berlin too. Come on. Be better. Why spread obvious nonsense?
Show threadMelanie StefanFeb 12, 2023
@Mordko That’s a lot of people in T-Shirts for a rainy February day.
Show threadMordkoFeb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan its November 2022 elections in Berlin. The point is that lineups happen everywhere and its not a conspiracy
Show threadUlrik Nyman ⬡Feb 12, 2023
@Mordko @melanieistefan People do not wear only t-shirts in November in Berlin.
Show threadMordkoFeb 12, 2023
@UlrikNyman @melanieistefan BS https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/berlin-court-orders-rerun-chaotic-2021-state-election-93401787
Berlin court orders rerun of chaotic 2021 state election

A Berlin court has ordered a rerun of the German capital’s 2021 state election because of severe election-day glitches at many polling stations

ABC News
Show threadUlrik Nyman ⬡Feb 12, 2023

@Mordko @melanieistefan
The picture seems to first have been used in 26th of September 2021.
It is used by LeMonde and NPR. It is probably from an election in Germany, but one year earlier than you stated. And two months earlier in the year, thus making the t-shirts make sense.

https://tineye.com/search/ccba85455b9dec427803096b02b7848aabc641c2?sort=crawl_date&order=asc&page=1

TinEye Reverse Image Search

Show threadMordkoFeb 12, 2023
@UlrikNyman @melanieistefan ok. Temperature isn’t the point here. This is Canada: https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/politics/federal-election-2021/elections-canada-sorry-people-didn-t-vote-because-of-long-lineups-1.5594728?cache=goxayamgqtwsx
Elections Canada 'sorry' people didn't vote because of long lineups

Many older voters, parents with young children and Canadians with disabilities didn't vote because of long lineups at their voting sites, with Elections Canada apologizing for the wait but saying there was little else they could do in a pandemic.

CTVNews
Show threadUlrik Nyman ⬡Feb 14, 2023
@Mordko @melanieistefan
But as far as I understand it was news that there were these queues at a German election. Thus, they are used to elections without queues. The USA seems to be one of the only places where long queues is routinely used to deter voters from voting in certian areas.
Show threadMordkoFeb 14, 2023
@UlrikNyman @melanieistefan its always news that there are long queues in every country’s elections. UK and Canada both havethem. Unless you have a Soviet-style elections or all your citizens are in the army, weather and all sorts of other problems may mean that a lot of people come at the exact same time. Also US is less centralized than European countries with somewhat different systems in various states. Demonstrably false anecdotal claims claims are not data.
Show threadMordkoFeb 14, 2023
@UlrikNyman @melanieistefan quite a change though from “you are only ever in a queue because someone wants you to” to “queues are only on the news in Germany because it was a one-off and they are not on the news in the US”. Neither is true.
Show threadMordkoFeb 14, 2023
@UlrikNyman @melanieistefan this might be interesting, assuming its not just the soundbite you are after https://www.usenix.org/legacy/event/evtwote10/tech/full_papers/Edelstein.pdf
Show threadMordkoFeb 14, 2023
@UlrikNyman @melanieistefan last but not least, in Germany the electorate has been shrinking. Makes it easy to plan for. https://www.dw.com/en/german-election-demographics-facts-and-figures/a-59143207. Germany is a gerontocracy. In the US 20 million more turned up to vote in 2020 than in 2016 and most of the increase was young and poorer neighborhoods. Harder to predict and plan for.
German election demographics

Germany's electorate is aging and shrinking. What will that mean for the German parliament in the post-Merkel era?

Deutsche Welle
Show threadUlrik Nyman ⬡Feb 14, 2023

@Mordko @melanieistefan You plan for everybody voting.

Denmark: 1.383 polling place (2021), population (2020): 5,882,261. People pr. polling place: 4253.
USA: 230,000 polling place (2018), population (2022): 333,287,557. People pr. polling place: 1449.

I expected this to show the opposite relationship. This just makes it even more weird that the USA gets such long queues at some polling locations.

Maybe it is the use of election machines that makes for less booths per polling place?

Show threadMordkoFeb 14, 2023
@UlrikNyman @melanieistefan Denmark is a tiny Kingdom with high taxes, relying on US for defence like we all do. Very expensive place with no growth. Not everyone is or wants to be like that. If you want to come to the US and sort them out, I am certain your advice would be valued. Although it looks like you also have a conspiracy to make people wait https://uniavisen.dk/en/right-now-danish-voters-queue-up-for-election/
Right now: Danish voters queue up for election

The polls are now open in the Danish general election. Latest polls predict a tight race between the opposition red bloc and the blue bloc, including the present governing parties

University Post
Show threadUlrik Nyman ⬡Feb 15, 2023
@Mordko @melanieistefan This is a line of 9 people inside a building from a news story in 2011. The focus is on the election being a thing and not on the problem of queues.
Show threadUlrik Nyman ⬡Feb 15, 2023
@Mordko @melanieistefan I have voted in every danish election since 1998 and I have followed danish news for at least as long. There is not a problem with election queues in Denmark.
Show threadMordkoFeb 15, 2023
@UlrikNyman @melanieistefan there isn’t a problem for the vast majority of Americans or Canadians either. Anecdote is not data. Not every problem is a conspiracy
Show threadUlrik Nyman ⬡Feb 16, 2023

@Mordko @melanieistefan

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2020/03/05/no-one-should-wait-six-hours-to-vote-but-in-texas-thousands-did-on-super-tuesday/

`No one should wait six hours to vote,' but in Texas, thousands did on Super Tuesday

Joe Biden had an exceedingly Super Tuesday in Texas. But for thousands of Texas voters, primary night was a nightmare. Many waited four hours. A thousand or...

The Dallas Morning News
Show threadMordkoFeb 16, 2023
@UlrikNyman @melanieistefan I am confident Democratic Party would benefit frim your experience in organizing Primaries. Good luck.
Show threadMordkoFeb 14, 2023
@UlrikNyman @melanieistefan but to your point, I suspect American Federal system generates a lot of inefficiencies for country-wide events like elections. Overall it seems to work for them.
Show threadDebora Weber-WulffFeb 12, 2023
@Mordko @melanieistefan
Looks like the election in September 2021. It was not all polling stations with lines. But there were enough problems so the courts decided a repeat was necessary. So we learned from the errors instead of forbidding people to pass out water to people waiting in line.
Show threadMordkoFeb 13, 2023
@WiseWoman @melanieistefan Bully for you. Back in the real world there are some queues in every election in every country. No, its not a conspiracy. https://news.sky.com/story/anti-immigration-party-takes-seats-off-merkels-cdu-in-german-local-elections-10584008
Anti-immigration party takes seats off Merkel's CDU in German local elections

The Alternative for Germany party wins 11.5% of the vote in Berlin, exit polls say, just behind the Christian Democrats on 18%.

Sky
Show threadStacyFeb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan I used to vote in the nice, big firehouse right across the street. My district was redrawn a few years ago, and I now vote in a tiny little building with only enough parking for 10 people at a time. I wait to find a spot to park, then I wait in a line that winds around the building. Takes about three hours for Presidential elections and about two hours for midterms.
Show threaddragonfrogFeb 12, 2023
@dancinyogi @melanieistefan In Canada I've never had a polling place I'd even consider driving to. I'm sure it would be different living in the countryside, but in cities there are enough of them that if you're able bodied it's quicker and simpler to just walk over. Saves the parking for folks with disabilities.
Show threadStacyFeb 12, 2023
@dragonfrog @melanieistefan I live in a more rural area so unfortunately, I have to drive.
Show threaddragonfrogFeb 12, 2023

@dancinyogi @melanieistefan That makes sense.

From picturing what people are describing about long queues to vote, it seems that would have to mean there are few polling places - to the point where lots of folks' nearest polling place would be outside an easy walking distance even in a city.

Show threadAlchemistFeb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan Very True!
Show threadLauraFeb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan Well, that but also because participation rates were horendous today ..
Show threadAlan CampbellFeb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan It is similar here, at most I might have to queue for 5-10 minutes if it is busy.
Show threadBrian LewisFeb 12, 2023

@melanieistefan Lines happen in German elections too. I was in Augsburg back in 2019 and while looking for a restaurant in the Ratskelter, got in line for what I thought was the restaurant, and instead turned out to be a local referendum. Thankfully I figured this out before things got awkward.

Locally in Cincinnati, my polling place hasn’t had lines in the eight years I’ve been at this house.

Lines typically represent a local organization issue.

Show threadRoryFeb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan In Ireland, you’re assigned a polling station and then a particular section of that station when you arrive. They’re normally in kids schools as they’re closed for the day. Voting is 7am to 10pm and I’ve had to wait a few minutes at most. That’s only if I go to vote after work
Show threadansible42Feb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan Washington state is the best. Vote by mail from home since the 90s. Prepaid postage, online ballot tracker and online registration.
Show thread Mike AmundsenFeb 12, 2023

@melanieistefan

"If you are standing in a line for hours in order to exercise your democratic rights, it’s because someone wants you to."

yep, you nailed it.

#thanks.

Show threadAlexander KnochelFeb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan If the US are getting schooled by the most ridiculously dysfunctional bureaucracy in all of Germany, that should give you pause 😏
Show threadUnprecedented 2023Feb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan I shared your post without revealing your name on my FB page. Thanks for sharing.
Show threadIrinaFeb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan Last time we went to vote there was a line... of 4 people (including us). Because we happened to come at a really popular time, I think 9am.
Show threadAlfonso BetancortFeb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan No lines in Spain either.
Show threadEverton Zanella AlvarengaFeb 12, 2023

@melanieistefan I voted a few weeks ago by letter. It's worth noting that it's a repeated election, due to the lack of the organization… Not saying in US is better, when I think about this, for instance: https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/12/11/brazil-us-election-fraud-lessons-trump-bolsonaro/

#Democracy #righttovote #polling

What Brazil's Election Can Teach the United States

Experts worried that Brazil’s presidential election would be disputed, but the country has a surprisingly robust and modern system.

Foreign Policy
Show threadSallydFeb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan
We have pre poll, postal as well as voting on the day. With the latter, there are sausage sizzles and/or cake stalls at some locations. Makes the short wait pleasant.
Show threadMy name is Gloria ActuallyFeb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan my state votes by mail so we don’t even have to go to a polling place
Show threadmbaudisFeb 12, 2023
@melanieistefan @deevybee Polling stations in Switzerland don’t ask for an ID, just the voting registration card sent to you (signed). Seems to work.