On Tuesday, voters across the country headed to the polls to make their voices heard this midterm election.
There are a lot of things at stake this Election Day: the future makeup of Congress, who controls local legislatures, voting rights issues, and critical ballot initiatives on redistricting, health care, and criminal justice. But one thing’s the same as in years past: long voting lines.
Many of the people waiting in lines expressed hope that this was a sign of high voter turnout, while some complained about the lack of functioning machines at their polling station.
Here’s a look at what it was like for people around the country exercising their right to vote this year:
Birmingham, Alabama
Line to vote at 7am in Birmingham, Alabama pic.twitter.com/BiASwRtr6f
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) November 6, 2018
Long lines to vote #govoteAlabama @spann pic.twitter.com/N3D7tImpEn
— Zach (@Flyhalf_Zach) November 6, 2018
Washington, D.C.
Line once entering the polling location to only sit before being able to vote. pic.twitter.com/hCShH1QxvM
— Tyrell M. Holcomb (@tmholcomb) November 6, 2018
Never seen the line so long at my DC voting location. In the steady rain. Vote! (And remember DC deserves representation in Congress!) pic.twitter.com/x6aGugKQMH
— Michael Sozan 🌊 (@michaelsozan) November 6, 2018
LAST NIGHT:
Anonymous Spouse A:
“We definitely need to get up early to vote. There will be a line.”Anonymous Spouse B:
“You’re a crazy man. No way will there be a line at 7am.”TODAY: pic.twitter.com/G6RdOIYAsf
— James A. Cadogan (@Caduggy) November 6, 2018
Lexington, Kentucky
Many in line who come to vote here every year bright and early have told me they’ve never seen the line this long at this point in the morning. #Decision2018 #ElectionDay @LEX18News pic.twitter.com/tHh32kCE3Z
— Claire Kopsky (@ClaireMKopsky) November 6, 2018
We’ve heard lines are 30+ minutes at several precincts. Great to see people out and voting! #Decision2018 #LEX18 https://t.co/Z1AtC670y4
— Conroy Delouche (@ConroyDelouche) November 6, 2018
Detroit, Michigan
I’m in maybe a 100 person line to vote, neighbors are sharing pens to expedite filling out forms, the folks across the way are sharing stories about voting, the woman behind me is calling her daughters to get them to the polls.
My heart is so happy. This is democracy. 💙
— Herasanna Richards (@herasanna) November 6, 2018
Forty-six minutes later, I’m still standing in line. I hope it’s like this ALL day.
But I also hope the clerk doubles the staff for 2020. It’ll be like this then, too.
I’m holding Ballot 47 and haven’t voted yet, and they just gave Voter 62 hers.#VoteLikeYourLifeDependsOnIt
— ROCHELLE RILEY 🗳 (@rochelleriley) November 6, 2018
Lines at the poll and it’s not even 9am yet. Get out there and vote today! pic.twitter.com/ivmAjxnvk3
— Alan Languirand (@13protons) November 6, 2018
Voting day turn up.
At 7:15am about 50ppl in line at our precinct.
#Midterms2018 pic.twitter.com/NjL1lQ10f1
— 866 OUR VOTE – Jenifer 🧘🏾♀️ (@jentrification) November 6, 2018
St. Louis, Missouri
"These lines have been wrapped around the building and that's been since this poll has opened at 6AM local time," @MorganRadford reports from a polling station in Missouri as Americans head to the polls with key races on the line on this #ElectionDay pic.twitter.com/aLnG6qLLlI
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 6, 2018
Standing in line to vote at 9 a.m. Central… moving along quickly #ElectionDay #pussygrabsback #NastyWomenVote #midwestmama #GoVote #Vote pic.twitter.com/pc11QU3uJd
— Michaella Thornton (@kellathornton) November 6, 2018
New York, New York
Long lines in Crown Heights to vote — and a poll worker telling people that the wait is super long and they should come back later…. doesn’t seem advisable. #MidtermElections2018
— Zoe Greenberg (@zoegberg) November 6, 2018
Long line to vote at the top of north Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/xINUouf9eo
— Mike Murphy (@mcwm) November 6, 2018
People are leaving because it’s a 2 hour wait at PS 316 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
“Some machines are broken and it’s extremely crowded.” #ElectionDay @WNYC pic.twitter.com/fUCsEOq1Wc
— Jennifer Hsu (@jennhsu) November 6, 2018
45 minutes to vote at my polling station. A total organizational shitshow that only makes sense the longer you’re immersed in it. The 2-sided ballot is actually 4 sides. A poll worker is threatening to take people’s ballots away if they take photos. #vote
— Nicole Serratore (@MildlyBitter) November 6, 2018
Astoria polling station lines are hundreds & hundreds deep around 10 am, which I wish would be mirrored in Ohio, Texas, FL too. Poll workers say busiest they have ever seen in their lifetime. pic.twitter.com/mCnBZjMDa1
— Rafat Ali رفعت (@rafat) November 6, 2018
Charleston, South Carolina
This line to vote is amazing 🇺🇸. pic.twitter.com/d3KbIevBq4
— Shree Summerlin (@ShreeSummerlin) November 6, 2018
The line to vote at Phillip Simmons Elementary off Clements Ferry Road in Cainhoy. #SCvotes #MidtermElections2018 pic.twitter.com/iQVdeWGZem
— Christine Gallagher (@ChristineGtv) November 6, 2018
Austin, Texas
Some technical issues at the Church of Christ in Hyde Park, where the line to vote is moving slowly – a poll worker says a printer is down, which has slowed the voting process – but she’s reminding folks that in Travis County, you can vote anywhere on Election Day. #TXDecides pic.twitter.com/ZgQi0mlnlj
— Syeda Hasan (@KUTsyeda) November 6, 2018
Here is an update from my brother-in-law who is voting in Austin, Texas. Huge line at 7:45 a.m. Central pic.twitter.com/1lcMZMsU6G
— Emily C. Singer (@CahnEmily) November 6, 2018
Reminder that in Texas, your DL/ID’s address does not need to match your registered address in order to vote!! This AM I watched poll vols get hung up on a black man’s address before letting him thru. I was next in line to show them my “incorrect address” too (and got by fine).
— Samantha Grasso (@samjgrasso) November 6, 2018
Quite the line to vote in east austin pic.twitter.com/UbidEi6urx
— Matt Gratt💡📈 (@mattgratt) November 6, 2018
Madison, Wisconsin
At the Sun Prairie polling place that I’m working at, people started lining up 45 minutes before the polls opened. And there have been long lines for the last two hours.
Veteran poll workers tell me this is unprecedented for a midterm election. #ElectionDay2018 pic.twitter.com/W4Wt2ZhvgR— Mark Maley (@MarkMaley) November 6, 2018
Memphis, Tennessee
Line to vote at Trinity UMC in Midtown is to the sidewalk. I can’t remember the last time I waited in a line of any length here. pic.twitter.com/kALVa3PZsU
— Kyle Veazey (@kyleveazey) November 6, 2018
Richmond, Virginia
The poll line at Providence Elementary in Chesterfield is 4 long hallways. I guarantee this is going to be a record turnout for Midterms. #ElectionDay #VoteToday #IVoted pic.twitter.com/rikRaxeBtu
— Kelly Avellino NBC12 (@KellyAvellino) November 6, 2018
Iam in line to vote and the line are 3 times longer than a Presidential Election. Democracy at its best. Go vote https://t.co/Rw69MoCbXE
— Leroy Wilkins , Jr (@KaramelEnt) November 6, 2018
The line to vote on campus @VCU is down the hall and around the corner. In comparison, I walked right in and was out in 90 seconds last November for Virginia state elections. #GOTV2018 #TurnOut #ElectionDay pic.twitter.com/qW11cB8Cf8
— Corey B. Miles (@CoreyBMiles) November 6, 2018
Good morning! Currently in line to vote at the Richmond Public Library. Where’s your voting poll? #GoVote pic.twitter.com/VLRujctbZh
— Talya Faggart (@TalyaFaggart) November 6, 2018
Melanie Schmitz contributed to this piece.