In the exhilaration of his victorious moment, newly re-crowned President Barack Obama cheered not only those who voted for the first time, but also those “who waited in lines for a very long time.” And to loud cheers he added: “By the way, we have to fix that.”

I hope the president indeed will correct this system of long lines that rolled on for miles and hours, because the voting infrastructure is a national disgrace that can rob thousands, especially the elderly, of the right to vote.

To some, long voting lines extol the hallmark of effusive democracy; after all, we vote rather than flood the streets with tanks. No argument there, but voters still deserve better. Too many voters are paying a “wait tax,” where voters – often disproportionately black or Latino – are forced to wait in lines so long it is difficult not to give up and not vote.