Can You Register To Vote At A Polling Place

A voter wearing a protective mask casts a election for the 2020 Presidential Election in Miami, Florida, on Tuesday, Nov 3, 2020. Photo Courtesy: Jayme Gershen/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The world of elections is changing, especially when information technology comes to the accessibility of polling places. In recent years, states that were one time strongly aligned with one party are shifting, often due to the rise of minority voters. However, a key Supreme Courtroom (SCOTUS) decision altered the landscape, leaving the door open to voting process changes that unduly harm minority voters. By examining the broader moving picture — too equally how polling districts in the state of Georgia take changed — the impact becomes clear.

The Impact of Shelby v. Holder

In 1965, the passage of the Voting Rights Act contradistinct the ballot landscape. The law prevented states and local governments from passing laws that denied equal access to vote based on race. Additionally, information technology included a crucial provision, known as Section v, that put additional requirements on jurisdictions with a history of discrimination.

For jurisdictions covered under Department v, whatsoever proposed voting procedure changes were subject to federal oversight to ensure they didn't unfairly target minority voters. However, this provision was struck down by the Shelby v. Holder Supreme Courtroom conclusion in 2013. Unless Congress updated the formula used to determine Section v eligibility, information technology could no longer utilize. That motility fundamentally altered the voting mural once more, removing federal oversight from the areas previously discipline to Section 5.

While the passage of discriminatory laws is still banned under the Voting Rights Deed, a big swath of states and local governments could suddenly make changes to their processes without additional approvals. In some areas, that'southward manifested as the removal of polling places, restrictions on mail-in voting, new ID verification requirements, and other moves that disproportionately impact minority voters.

Shelby 5. Holder gave multiple jurisdictions new control over their voting processes, including Georgia. Since the Supreme Court decision, changes take occurred quite rapidly. This is particularly true in the backwash of the height of the COVID-nineteen pandemic. That is, the contentious 2020 election combined with the rising in post-in voting and process alterations due to COVID-19 has caused many Republican politicians to look into more restrictive voting practices, even though claims of voter fraud has been largely debunked by leading researchers.

One prime example of a mail service-Shelby v. Holder change is Georgia'southward Election Integrity Act of 2021. Along with additional restrictions on absentee voting — including ID requirements, fewer drop boxes and stricter cutoffs — the law alters the duration of voting times each twenty-four hours during the early on-voting period; it too makes handing out food or water to those waiting in line illegal. Further, the results of the election must be certified the Monday after Election Solar day, giving officials 4 fewer days to count ballots.

Many local jurisdictions are besides working to close polling places, at times en masse, thus decreasing the accessibility of voting. In places where polling places were diminished, which typically occurs in areas where the majority of the voters are minorities, long lines are commonplace.

There was an eight-fold divergence — 6 minutes as opposed to 51 minutes — between average wait times in polling places that were ninety percent white voters and polling places that were 90 percentage Black voters, respectively, in 2020. In some rural areas, minority voters waited six hours to bandage their ballots; in parts of Atlanta, minority voters stood in line for more than than 10 hours.

What Does Closing Polling Places Involve?

Closing polling places tin't occur purely on a whim. In nearly cases, local authorities, such as election boards, must vote in guild to brand those changes. Pre-Shelby 5. Holder, jurisdictions covered by Section 5 also required federal approval. Withal, since that SCOTUS decision, that isn't necessary.

Instead, local election boards in Georgia, for example, can largely (effort to) shut any number of polls with just an election board vote. One instance of such an endeavour occurred in Lincoln Canton, Georgia, a rural area that tried to remove seven polling places, leaving the county with just one.

A demonstrator holds a sign at a rally with Representative Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) outside the U.S. Capitol to urge the Senate to laissez passer voting rights legislation on Wednesday, Jan 19, 2022. Photo Courtesy: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc./Getty Images

The proposal was ultimately defeated, partially due to the action of local residents. Nether Georgia law, petitions signed past xx pct of registered voters in the jurisdictions tin prevent closures. In the case of Lincoln County, enough signatures were collected to ensure some of the polling places would remain open, regardless of the ballot board's opinion.

Due to public sentiment, the board voted to keep the other polling locations open in Lincoln County. However, other areas in the state weren't every bit successful. Since the determination in Shelby v. Holder has taken effect, 10 per centum of polling locations in the state of Georgia accept closed — all while voter rolls increased past 2 million people.

How Endmost Polling Places Impacts Voting Accessibility

Endmost polling places impacts voting accessibility in several ways. For those who must vote in person, long lines are potentially a hindrance. Along with creating additional challenges for disabled voters or voters with chronic illnesses, information technology creates hardships for those who can't afford to miss work or need childcare.

Even though employers are required to give employees time off on Election Twenty-four hour period if they're scheduled to work during the period polls are open up, they're simply mandated to provide up to two hours of non-paid fourth dimension off. For some working voters, that just isn't a manageable situation. Additionally, employees must provide ample notice, and employers get to dictate precisely when that two hours occurs during the workday. It also only applies to Election Day itself.

Closing polling places also hinders anyone without reliable transportation who's now required to travel non-walkable distances to bandage their vote. While some organizations effort to bridge the transportation gap, their capacity is often express. Additionally, many of the options require a degree of tech-savviness and access — such every bit cognition of how to use rideshare apps or text-based appointment-setting — which may be a barrier to those without smartphones or condolement using those devices. Ultimately, fewer polling places equates to more hurdles, impacting voting accessibility — and which groups of people can contribute to the procedure — rather significantly.

When Does Closing Polling Places Turn into Targeted Voter Suppression?

Polling place closures effectively turn into voter suppression when the locations that are closed disproportionately bear upon minority populations. Often, the polling places election boards select for closure aren't chosen based on population density and don't ensure equal average travel times for all voters within a broader surface area. Instead, authorities officials strategically make the selections, giving them the ability to target minority areas if they so cull.

By reducing admission to polling places in minority-bulk areas, state and local governments can potentially reduce the number of minorities who are able to vote successfully. In turn, that may sway the outcome of elections, all by ensuring that a detail segment of the population isn't fully heard.

How to Make Voting More Accessible to All Americans

Improving voting accessibility is often far easier than many would await. Online voter registration options, forth with automated voter registration tied to DMV records, can streamline processes. Expanding early on voting and absentee voting or converting to a postal service-in voting-based process across the board also enhances accessibility.

Turning Election Mean solar day into an official federal holiday could limit work- or school-related hindrances, while expanding free transportation options to the polls would also reduce barriers to voting. And, almost of all, eliminating any discriminatory voter ID laws would brand a difference, allowing all Americans to voice their opinions and bandage their votes.