I would have early voted if I knew I could. I legitimately didn’t know that was an option for myself until if was over. I thankfully was able to go on voting day, so it’s ok. But for the first time in my voting life, I never received my voting pamphlet with all the usual info as well as my voting location. I had to look everything up and that really made me mad. So I could easily understand some people legitimately missing their opportunity to vote because they weren’t provided the information to be able to get out there and do it.

where i live, voting is not necessarily easy or convenient for folks relying on public transport. that much harder if they are, say, a working single parent living below the poverty level. and my work involves talking to people like this every day - there are millions like them.

Regardless of that; another shenanigan exists for those who did make it to the polls; Gerrymandering.

Yes; it’s horrid as it sounds and it limits the voting power of lower class people, as well as the power of people who are considered to be “ethnic minorities” by the party in power. If there’s a neighborhood of blacks next to a poor neighborhood; well both find themselves districted together and their cumulative votes are diminished by how the votes are counted by district such that a 2-3 victory for Democrats; is actually counted as a 2-3 victory for the Republicans…all because the Republicans were already in power somehow and managed to re-district the place so that the vote result never changes anything…unless the unlikely event that all three neighborhoods choose to vote the same way occurs.

Yet another shenanigan exists where voting rolls are frequently “purged” due to false assertions of fraud and onerous and routine registration becomes necessary, which isn’t a problem if you don’t work full-time in the USA; but good luck getting a day off work if you do work full-time and need to vote. (Hint: YOU DON’T; OR ELSE YOU GET FIRED WITH NO RECOURSE!)

Even if that wasn’t enough already; many times the voting times, locations, dates and even rules change from year-to-year, and sometimes even month-to-month.

What worked this time might not work next time. From ID requirements to ballot order manipulation or even other flat out shady practices like misleading or leading poll questions on the ballot are all employed.

The media is even worse; and frequently spouts simple and blatant lies. they could literally be absolutely passionate about their issue in particular and still end up being misled or lied to; as there’s no accountability for this. This would result in mistakenly casting a vote for the wrong candidate who would then go on to not represent the will or needs of the citizens voting for them once they’re in power.

The average American, just simply can’t always be on top of every one of these things 24/7. It’s easy to get taken by any one of them by surprise.

I wouldn’t be so sure. It’s a time honored tradition for red states to make it significantly more difficult to vote. Shutting down voting locations in busy (so blue) areas, not accepting mail in votes, etc.