Also helping to decrease wait times is voting by mail, which is available in 22 states, and early voting, which is now offered in 37 states — though a couple of states have rolled back their early voting. “Some actions, like changing polling places, may seem benign on its face, but they are creating havoc.”Fewer ResourcesIn poorer counties and cities, long lines may stem from a lack of resources. Cutting Voting LinesLocal election officials know how to keep voting lines short, which makes this time gap so frustrating for voting scholars such as Charles Stewart III, the director of MIT’s Voting Technology Project. Many of those tools were implemented after the 2012 presidential election, where hellish voting lines in states such as Florida made national news. One of the commission’s primary recommendations was to use data, such as voter registration numbers and parking availability near polling places, to better manage polling places, which would in turn decrease the size of lines.

Source: Huffington Post February 15, 2018 16:07 UTC