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People are waiting hours to vote on Election Day. This is what it looks like.

Lines, lines, all kinds of lines.

ThinkProgress
Election Day lines in Philadelphia CREDIT: David Corn/Twitter
Election Day lines in Philadelphia CREDIT: David Corn/Twitter

This year, Election Day began like many other election days past. Poll workers set up tables and booths across the country, and eager voters lined up at their respective precincts. And one fact of life remained constant across the nation: lines. From New York to California, from North Carolina to Nevada, lines stretched outside of doors and circled parking lots and city blocks.

In some areas, long lines gave people hope for high turnout that would result in a decisive victory for their preferred candidate.

Philadelphia, PA

Washington, D.C.

https://twitter.com/rachnacDC/status/796048784107118592/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

 

New York, NY

Jersey City, NJ

East Lansing, MI

While many people on social media seemed to be excited about the democratic process, taking the long lines to mean their fellow citizens viewed voting as important, too, in other areas, long lines may have had to do with problems with voting machines. In Arizona, many voters waited over an hour due to broken poll booths. One voter told ThinkProgress “This is the longest I’ve had to wait in a presidential election. But I did it.”

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Overall, lines at polling places can only tell part of the story of Election Day turnout. But they can be indicative of the larger narrative of an election, and the narrative this year seems to be one of national urgency.