Colleagues who have voted early at the Coral Gables library report long lines, and long wait times.
The Miami-Dade Elections Department has posted a list of early voting sites with approximate wait times at each location. At this writing, the most recent data is for 2pm yesterday, and wait times varied from thirty minutes to two and half hours. I think 30 minutes might be tolerable, but to run a system that makes voters wait two and a half hours is a sign of either poor planning or an attempt to suppress the vote. Being a believer that one should rarely attribute to malice what can be explained by incompetence, I'm prepared to believe it's the elections dept. being its usual wonderful self, but even so….
Update — I found the following in my email:
To help students, faculty, and staff take advantage of early voting, the University will be providing free shuttle service to the Coral Gables library election site starting today. Shuttles from Stanford Circle on the Coral Gables campus will be running today, Thursday, October 23 and tomorrow, Friday, October 24 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; next Monday, October 27 through Friday, October 31 from 12 to 6 p.m.; and Saturday, November 1 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
If the wait times are a couple of hours, seems to me there's a danger anyone who goes out after about noon on these shuttles might get stranded, or will give up and go home. And as for voting on your lunch hour, fuggedaboutit.
Here's a snapshot of the table.
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The wait is worth it if you are voting for Obama…especially if you are hoping to celebrate/party on the 5th with friends at Versailles in Little Havana! Wouldn’t be much of a party if Obama loses!
I wanted to share a brief thought about early voting, as I just came off of 2 days as an attorney poll watcher for the Democratic Party at one of the early voting locations (Miami Lakes Public Library, as it happens). Huge numbers have been coming to vote, though I’m guessing fewer than at other locations around M-D county. When I went to vote myself on Monday and check the place out, the staff there was very professional and efficient, and the wait was 1 1/2 hours, with 675 voters casting their ballots. On Tuesday, I witnessed 724 votes, with the wait dropping to 35/40 minutes. By Wednesday, the voting had surged to 860, and yet the wait had dropped to just over 30 minutes, a testament to the ingenuity of the clerk and her staff, as well as continual refining of the techniques. Only 2 people had to vote provisionally on those days, and both simply failed to produce any ID. Several others were Broward residents who didn’t understand that they had to vote in any location in their own county. The Republican attorney with me made no challenges. The ballot is very long and some of the constitutional and county charter issues confusingly written, so I recommend reviewing them in advance of your voting (each location has sample ballots you can review while in line). Also, if you prefer the (now old) touch screen system to vote, tell the clerks wherever you cast your ballots, and they should have at least one of those machines for you to use–but you have to ask for it.
I don’t have experience at any of the other 19 locations, but Vivian (the clerk) has a well-oiled machine, and if you want a shorter wait to vote, I recommend visiting her in Miami Lakes (and send her my regards). Please urge your friends and family to vote early. Bring your drivers license, passport, or other documentation with your signature and picture. If your address has changed recently, just tell the clerk, they will have you fill out an affirmation and allow you to vote in your new precinct immediately.
Drop me a line if you have any questions or comments.