Most states have early voting, and it's estimated that at least half of all voters will have already voted by election day. In 2020, the Republicans discouraged early voting, but have encouraged it this year, with many rural voters taking advantage of it by voting on the day most convenient for them. Early voting is much better than other proposals, like making election day a national holiday.
The long lines are deliberate. You see these in Republican-controlled states in urban areas that tend to vote Democratic. Here in Georgia, it's even illegal to offer water to people standing in lines. Where I grew up, in California, polling places were in peoples' living rooms, and I rarely had to wait more than a few minutes to vote. In Oregon, 100% of voting was by mail, so it was even more convenient.
There can be long lines for early voting as even fewer polling places are open. This year, we arrived at ours about 15 minutes before it opened and didn't have to wait too long.
