Long waits at polling places are disruptive, disenfranchising, and all too common. Black and Latino voters are especially likely to endure them. Though completed before the eruption of the coronavirus, this report from the Brennan Center for Justice is even more critical now because it provides information regarding community needs as well as mistakes commonly made in planning for and staffing in-person voting. While the risk of COVID-19 will no doubt move more voters to cast their ballots by mail, some communities — more typically communities of color — rely on polling places. We must make sure that there are in-person options, and that they have enough of the right kinds of resources. In these dire times, our country will not benefit from the judgment and experiences of all its citizens unless all Americans can vote freely and safely.
Program: Democracy
