If Arizona has a presidential preference election four years from now, state lawmakers don't want to repeat history and replay last month's voting fiasco.
A provision tucked into an unrelated election bill Monday would require Maricopa County to have at least one polling place for every 1,700 eligible voters. Sen. Kimberly Yee, R-Phoenix, said that should translate to about 200 places where anyone could go, regardless of where they live or work. There were just 60 last month.
Yee was personally affected by the shortage-- "I had the opportunity, I suppose you can say, of waiting 5 and a half hours in line to vote. I did not cast my ballot until 12:20 in the morning."
Yee figures setting a minimum on the number of places to vote, coupled with allowing the county to set up emergency polling places, should prevent a repeat performance. Sen. Martin Quezada, D-Phoenix, said Yee is headed in the right direction, but there are many other factors to consider, like "whether certain parts of the county could and should have more polling places because there is a need for those polling places in those communities."
Quezada said those factors range from how many jobs someone has to work, to whether they have their own vehicles or have to use public transit.