Other countries shine bright light on the insanity of how corrupted, compromised, and undemocratic our voting system is, putting ours to shame. Truly, it is madness to stand in lines for hours to vote — and in the middle of a pandemic! — when everyone could be easily voting by mail like we do here in the Pacific Northwest. All this said, the fierce determination by millions to vote early — and no matter how many hours needed to stand in these long lines — is heartening and incredibly hopeful. Deep bow of gratitude for their tenacity and fierce commitment to making their VOTE count. — Molly
Long queues to vote in the US have been celebrated by some of those who endured them as a welcome sign of enthusiasm. But outside America, there was a different take.
You may think waiting 11 hours to vote would be the height of frustration, but not for one family in Georgia.
"We made it, y'all," says Johnta Austin in one viral video filmed as they reach the front of the queue, describing the lengthy process as an "honour".
With early voting under way across much of the US, social media images show long queues of people, sometimes waiting for hours, patiently inching their way in line towards the polling booth.
Now at 11hrs in line but we are next! A long journey but wouldn’t be anywhere else! Please vote everyone! pic.twitter.com/ifRcbK1XRm
— Johnta Austin (@johntalsr) October 12, 2020
Some African Americans, including journalist Roland Martin in Texas, say they wept when they discovered such a motivated electorate on the morning of the vote.
In a video that shows a Black Lives Matter sign on the building, Martin says he cried after finding a "massive line after the polls had been open 27 minutes", and that he prepared to vote by listening to protest songs from this summer.
Many of the Americans taking to the internet to show their voting pride are black. They say their vote is a continuation of the civil rights struggle, which they feel has been invigorated by the Black Lives Matter movement.
I have voted all my life. But when I rolled up to Friendship-West Baptist Church this AM, and I saw this massive line after the polls had been open 27 minutes, the tears just hit me. I was listening to @treysongz song, “2020 Riots: How Many Times,” and it just hit me. 1/4 pic.twitter.com/BDN0aK1KNG
— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) October 13, 2020
"Souls to polls," is one slogan being retweeted among the US black community.
In Georgia, where in-person voting began on Monday, a federal holiday, some voters arrived before dawn to queue.
The state has a long history of voting problems but it's not the first in this election season to see long queues on the first day of early voting. It was the same in Ohio and Virginia.
Record turnout is expected this year, with an unprecedented number of people voting early due to the pandemic.
Voters in Atlanta, Georgia, cited the death of local congressman John Lewis, who was beaten while marching for equal rights in Alabama in the 1960s.
Atlanta's mayor on Monday tweeted a quote by Lewis, who died in July: "The vote is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have."
According to the the state's vote counters, a record 126,876 Georgians cast early ballots on Monday, including at the NBA's State Farm Arena.
The line outside State Farm Arena. pic.twitter.com/J2oMFJecRl
— THIS IS A MARIAH CAREY STAN ACCOUNT (@newsworthy17) October 12, 2020
With three weeks to go until election day, it's estimated that some 11 million Americans have already voted.
Republican-run states have faced legal challenges for introducing rigorous ID checks and new rules like witness signatures.
Republicans say these measures are necessary to address voter fraud. Democrats accuse them of trying to suppress voters.
The long queues have prompted a huge global reaction.
One Canadian commenter in Ontario wrote that unlike in the US, a nonpartisan national commission runs the elections.
Another Canadian wrote: "I've waited longer for a bus than I have ever waited to vote."
A British man wrote: "Dear USA, I'm 58 and not once in my life have I had to queue to vote. Sort it out!"
Another person suggested that election monitors from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) should intervene.
Been here once 10:05am... #EarlyVote #earlyvoting #georgiavotes #cobbcounty #VOTE pic.twitter.com/0rAOKA7Ked
— Everlean R (@Everlean_R) October 12, 2020
One man in India pointed out that his country handles more election ballots than any other democracy in the world.
In a country with a higher level of illiteracy than the US, no such long queues have been seen in previous elections.
I have voted in Indian elections, where voting percentages are much higher than US. A lot more people vote in India than in US, but still have not seen such long queues on any Election Day! Must say that US can do a lot better in its election management!
— Hiron (@hironmoy001) October 13, 2020
Please continue this article here: https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54532189
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