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 places, such as those near Temple University and Villanova University, stretched far beyond what was typical at other polling places in the region. Some voters in line at Bright Hope Baptist Church near Temple in North Philadelphia late Tuesday afternoon said they had waited more than two hours.

Rudd, a New Jersey native best known for his roles in I love you, man and the Ant-man Voter declined to speak to a reporter near Temple but told MSNBC 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.”

At the Villanova polling place in Delaware County on Tuesday, more than 200 voters lined up outside at 4:15 p.m., waiting two hours or more to cast their ballots. Many of them were students.

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.

Jim Allen, Delaware County elections director, said county officials “provided more than enough resources for the number of voters at this location, and then we added some more at midday,” referring to the polling place near Villanova.

Long lines, Allen said, were due in part to the fact that a number of voters in the precinct had incomplete voter registration forms — such as addresses missing a dorm room number — that needed to be cleared before they could vote.

” READ MORE: Live Updates: Election Day 2024 in the Philadelphia region

While those voters could resolve the issue at the polling place, he said, that process slows down the decision for everyone. Some voters, he said, corrected their voter registration forms, while others ultimately chose to cast a provisional ballot.

“People keep talking about how important Pennsylvania is. “It feels like we are the main characters in this election,” said Emily Prus, 19, a Villanova freshman who waited in line for two hours. Prus, a Massachusetts native, said she was willing to wait to vote blue.

“You can't do that not Vote,” said Prus, who also took a selfie with Rudd as he stopped by to hand out water and snacks.

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

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

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.”

“Inflation is a hard blow. It’s ridiculous,” Redman said. “And real estate prices suck.”

Inquirer staff writer Katie Bernard contributed to this article.