Most Washington voters have it good and easy

The images are jaw-dropping: Long lines of people waiting to vote snake out of polling places, into parking lots and down the street.

They’re young and old, black and white. Some of them have waited hours – up to eight in some cases, even in the cold and rain – to vote. To say they are motivated is an understatement.

Americans have been guilty of being lackadaisical voters and taking their ballot box privileges for granted. That doesn’t appear to be happening this year. We’re turning out – with a vengeance.

Here in Washington state, we look at those images and shake our heads. How can so many people be willing to put up with that? Why don’t they just vote by mail like 95 percent of us do in this state?

The problem is twofold: Only 28 states allow no-excuses absentee voting, and only four of those states (including Washington) allow voters to sign up for permanent absentee voting. Add to that a record number of new voters who have registered in recent months – many of them unfamiliar with how to vote and how to request an absentee ballot if that’s an option – and the recipe for possible election day meltdown is complete.

Election officials can only hope that the surge of early voting in many states has relieved enough pressure that today’s voting will go smoothly. But many observers are predicting that some areas will still experience massive problems, ranging from ridiculously long lines and lack of enough provisional ballots to voting machine failures. Lawyers on both sides are readying for the challenges that are almost sure to follow – especially if the results are close in key states.

Many of those voting early over the weekend did so because they hoped to avoid having to take time off from work today to vote. For many people, that would have meant losing several hours of pay if they didn’t have a sympathetic employer or were self-employed. Others weren’t sure they’d be allowed to take the time off to vote.

It shouldn’t be harder for some people to vote than it is for others. That discriminates against the low-income, the disabled (who might physically be unable to wait in line), the self-employed, parents with restless young children and others who might not have the option of giving up several hours of the day waiting to vote.

Election officials have known since the squeaker presidential election of 2000 that many states had troubled voting systems. And although many states have made improvements, it’s clear from glitches that have already developed during early voting this year that there’s work still to be done.

For the vast majority of us here in Washington, voting was easy – and probably completed a few days ago. Now all that’s left is the tallying. Here’s hoping that the nightmare of the 2004 gubernatorial race, with its recounts and anger, won’t be repeated.