Out of curiousity

what's the longest queue you ever seen at a polling station here in the UK ?

I've never seen one at all.

ie just a minute or two, at most.

I think they cause their problems with a combination of electing loads of posts at once, and wanting it automated. That means it can take several minutes to elect everyone (see eg Detroit's 2004 election results - http://www.ci.detroit.mi.us/Portals/0/docs/elections/elec_arc/NOV22004-C.txt - about 18 different positions, and 10 referendum proposals), and while you're doing that, you tie up an expensive machine. To keep costs down, they try to make sure all machines are constantly in use - which means making people queue. If they did it all by paper, then at least they could just have 50 booths in a polling station, where people would be standing, rather than 5 machines.

I voted on the 18th (first day of early voting in Nevada) and the wait wasn't long - 15 minutes or so - but in addition to the presidential pick we had congressional reps, state legislature, close to two dozen judicial picks (Nevada elects judges from the state supreme court down to justice of the peace), board of regents (university), school boards, and five ballot issues.

That takes time, even if you bring in your sample ballot (cheat sheet) so you can remember which way you decided to vote on all those positions and issues. Add in the time it takes to be checked out and signed in and the actual mechanics of the machine (press here to continue - are you sure you want to continue? - press here to review - press here to page forward or back . . . do you want to change anything? - are you SURE you want to continue? - press here to vote - do you want to see your paper ballot?)

Seems to me it would be easier to just have people fill out a piece of paper and stuff it in a box . . .

very small queue at the 2005 general election, but that was mostly 1 family!

If possible I tend to get in the polling both very early indeed. Not to avoid any queues but to avoid the party activists with clipboards outside the polling station! Plus I like being able to say that I voted before anyone else. I'm geeky like that.

I've never seen a queue at a UK polling station.

people waiting to mow a meadow ? :rofl:

Is it?

:rofl:

like Ten Green bottles hanging on the wall - assuming you meant One man and his dog.

What a fantastic night ! :hi:

and I've never seen a queue.

Been voting since '79. There's a lot to be said for elections run on plywood and pencils.

but only have been voting in elections since 2001 when I was 19. Though I have voted in two general elections, one European Election and many local council elections.