Description

This tool uses queueing theory to calculate the minimal number of service stations at a process step in a polling place so as to satisfy a service target on maximum waiting times. A process step could be the act of voting, in which case the service stations correspond to voting machines or voting booths.

In this case, the tool can help to decide the required number of voting machines or booths to satisfy a service target; alternatively, the tool will determine the waiting time consequences from an allocation decision that sets the number of voting machines.

The tool can also be used for the process steps at which a voter checks in or checks out from the polling place. For instance, for the check-in step, the tool can be used to determine the number of poll workers needed and/or determine the waiting times given a decision on number of poll workers assigned to check in. In addition to using the tool on this web page, you can download an Excel spreadsheet that will perform the same calculations. One advantage of the spreadsheet is that it is easier to analyze multiple precincts at one time.


Developers: Stephen Graves and Rong Yuan




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Enter Data

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Precinct # Arrival rate (voters per hour)[1,10000] Average time to vote (minutes per voter) [0,100] Number of voting stations[1,100] Maximum wait-time target (minutes) [1,60] Service level (%)
Please add rows by pressing the +Add Precinct button

Results

Precinct Average Wait Time (minutes) Percent of voters that wait longer than the target Number of Check-In stations required to meet the service level Alert
Table has no data





Instructional Videos

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Part 3



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