National: There are 100,000 fewer Election Day polling places in 2024 | Chris Teale/Route Fifty
The decline in physical polling places during the 2022 midterms, almost halving from the previous cycle, has raised concerns among voting rights groups, particularly in light of the Supreme Court’s 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision, which struck down key parts of the Voting Rights Act. This decline, coupled with pandemic-related changes to voting procedures and state-level decisions, has led to accessibility challenges, especially for low-income individuals. Efforts to reinstate parts of the Voting Rights Act have faced opposition, further complicating the situation. Some of the decrease is the result of many counties adopting countywide vote centers and the nationwide increase in mail balloting but concerns persist over uneven polling place availability and the reluctance of venues like schools and churches to serve as polling locations due to security, safety, and legal compliance issues. Read Article