do NOT stand in long lines to vote on tuesday

[mopinko]

without trying to fix it.
go right now, get your phone. load the numbers of your local board of election, your state's attorney, and this number- the obama campaign Voter Hotline: [phone]-VOTE.

i went to early vote yesterday. i was told the wait was 2 1/2 hours. i didn't have that kind of time. but i went and talked to the judge that was tending the long snaking line. i asked her if they could get more machines. she told me there were 2 more machines but they had no place to put them. except that they were in a room with a collapsible wall into an empty room. so i asked why they didn't put them there. she said the park district wouldn't let them (most early voting places here are park fieldhouses)
so, i talked to the park guy. "yes, the room is empty. but i don't have anything to do with that, that is the board of elections." so i dragged him over, and had him repeat what he had said to the judge. she bloviated about why she couldn't do anything, then asked me to leave the building! (she was quite a snot.) after passing out the number for the board of elections (which is in my phone because i usually judge) i got outside and called.
boe says they will check it out. i call my alderman. he calls the board. about 15 minutes later, he calls me back to say that they sent a supervisor out, and they were setting up the machines.
he also sent an email to his rather extensive email list to tell them that the wait was shorter at the polling place in the next ward, and that they could go there.

now, i am pretty sure that anyone turned away will vote on tuesday. also pretty sure that more people got through the line because i didn't take 2 1/2 hours for an answer.
i am not anybody big. i'm sure we all know someone who could help out in that situation like my alderman did. especially if it were tuesday.
so, be prepared. have a plan. have a place to start. know the rules. don't take forever for an answer.

add your suggestions for contact info you should have here. i know there have been some twitter tags mentioned. i am sure there are some good websites.

ok, get it? BE PREPARED. you can make change happen.