I was talking today with a fellow poll worker about next Tuesday, and she mentioned how complicated it was to help her disabled mother vote yesterday because of all the propositions on the ballot. We agreed that what is needed at the polls is several copies of the propositions for people to read while they wait in line. That would speed up the voting considerably.

But when I called my supervisor to suggest that we do that not only in our area, but statewide, he said that all the Missouri printing facilities were tied up with copying GOTV materials, and that money would not be available to get this material copied elsewhere.

I plan to call the County Board of Elections in the morning because when I voted absentee, they had copies of the propositions that we could read while we waited in line. If they are willing to give me just one copy, I’ll at least make copies for the people working the polls in my part of the city.

Just thought some of the rest of you might have some ideas on how to get this idea put into practice more widely, because the name of the game in a lot of precincts next Tuesday is going to be how to keep people in those long lines. What better way than to shorten the line by making voting quicker and give voters something useful to do while they wait: read the ballot.