Temple, Villanova had long lines to vote and Paul Rudd stopped by

Voters at polling stations near Philadelphia-area college campuses reported long lines Tuesday, leading to two-hour waits for some voters and even prompting actor Paul Rudd to hand out water to people in line.

Voter turnout in precincts on and near college campuses was expected to increase compared to 2020, when voter turnout in those areas fell sharply, in part because many students were absent during the COVID-19 pandemic lived on campus.

But lines at polling stations near several campuses were far longer than usual at other polling locations in the region, and some voters reported waiting two hours or longer. At a polling place near Lehigh University in Bethlehem, some reported a wait of up to five hours.

And at a precinct near the Villanova campus in Delaware County, more than 200 people lined up outside at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday. Many of them were students who waited more than 90 minutes to vote.

Jim Allen, the Delaware County elections director, said the county sent more resources to polling places in Villanova at midday. The slowdown, he said, was partly due to newly registered voters having problems on their registration applications — such as a missing apartment number.

While these problems can be fixed at the polling place and don’t affect the majority of voters, Allen said, it slows down the process for everyone.

“In most neighborhoods, there aren’t a lot of young people registering for the first time in this jurisdiction,” Allen said. “Except on campus, that’s where you come across it.”

The students passed the time. Some threw Frisbees and ate Mexican food and pizza on the curb as Miley Cyrus’ “7 Things” played from a large speaker and a news helicopter hovered overhead.

Rudd, a New Jersey native best known for his roles in I love you, man and the Ant-man franchise, attended both Villanova and Temple. He declined to speak to a reporter in North Philadelphia but told MSNBC that he was there to hand out water and encourage voters to stay in line.

“It’s a wonderful thing that all these young people aren’t voting,” Rudd said. “We did a lot here in Pennsylvania today. We wanted to come out and tell these students that they are doing really great things.”

Emily Prus, 19, a Villanova freshman, waited in line for two hours. She said she was willing to wait to vote “blue.”

“People keep talking about how important Pennsylvania is. “It feels like we are the main characters in this election,” she said. Prus also took a selfie with Rudd as he stopped by to hand out water and snacks.

“This water,” she added, “is from Paul Rudd.”

At the back of the line was Connor Redman, 21, a computer science student who may have had to wait two and a half hours because so much was at stake in the election.

“I’m going to get some work and settle in,” said Redman, who declined to say who he voted for but planned to share his vote. Redman said the economy is his biggest issue and he plans to vote to “fix our country.”

” READ MORE: Philly turnout was high all morning, Democrats say ‘there were lines everywhere I went’

Students also had to wait long lines at Lehigh University, a college campus in Bethlehem, about 60 miles north of Philadelphia. At 5:40 p.m., 18-year-old Baylee Baker said she had been in line for half an hour and was expecting a long wait.

“I have friends who came here when they were 12,” she said. “The snake wrapped around the building.”

She said she was determined to stay in line as long as necessary, encouraged by performances from Paul Rudd and Jonathan Groff, plenty of pizza and water and what she said was a crucial election.

“If Trump is elected, I fear for America and for my future in America,” she said.

At Bright Hope Baptist Church near Temple University, the line of voters rolled down North 12th Street to Cecil B. Moore Avenue around 4:30 p.m.

Kishi Deji-Roberts, 18, a freshman at Temple, said she stood in line at the church for more than two hours. Deji-Roberts said she voted for Vice President Kamala Harris because, as the daughter of immigrants, she was turned off by former President Donald Trump’s promise to launch a mass deportation program.

“I don’t want this to happen to them,” she said of her parents.