What days are elections held on? Australia puts polling days on Saturdays so as to maximise the number of people able to get to their local polling booth. I know your presidential election is on a Tuesday. That works if people can take a few hours off to vote.

Why are there so many electoral authorities? Actually, I know that one. It has to do with the states being a lot closer to miniature nations of their own than mere sub-divisions of a nation like in most other countries. A federal election authority that does all the work across the country that all those local ones do would solve a lot of problems.

(Most countries do not have compulsory voting, incidentally. And I don't think most of the US citizens would tolerate even considering it. From what I've seen, most would consider it an infringement of their rights.)

Wade.