Widespread Reports of Voting Problems Highlight Dire Need for Major Reform

It did not take long on Election Day to have reports of problems with voting in several states. 

• Early morning voters were turned away due to missing voting machines in one Detroit precinct. The machines were ultimately located, but with no guarantee those voters will have the chance to return and vote.
• Voters arrived to an Indiana polling place and found that voting machines weren't plugged in and there was only one volunteer to administer the voting.
• In Arizona, “Three polling places are currently down, incl in the Gila Precinct in Chandler. The building was foreclosed overnight.”
• Three Gwinnett County, Georgia, precincts had technical problems that forced the use of paper ballots and led to hundreds of voters stuck in line.
• Elsewhere in the Atlanta area, “Hundreds of voters stand in line for hours this morning at this SW Atlanta polling place. Only three voting machines!”
• Some New York City precincts suffered from broken scanners and other technical problems, again leading to long lines.

These aren’t necessarily the result of intentional voter suppression right then and there at the local level—but they are a reminder of how broken and dysfunctional America’s voting systems are, and how badly we need nationwide reform that will improve voting access and security. We shouldn’t be relying on a few volunteers per precinct, or having people turned away because no one can find the voting machines that turn out to be locked away in a closet.