8,000 pizzas sent to hungry voters

PHOENIX — A group sent 8,000 pizzas to hungry voters as they waited in long lines that plagued polling places across the country Tuesday.

The group Pizza to the Polls collects social media reports of long lines and doles out pizzas accordingly. The nonprofit enjoyed a boost in recent days because of tweets and donations from celebrities like Debra Messing, Alyssa Milano, Mandy Moore and Patton Oswalt, raising more than $300,000 over a 24-hour period.

Co-founder Katie Harlow of Portland, Oregon, said she and two friends came up with the idea in 2016 after seeing long lines during the early voting.

“We just wanted a way to help out and siphon our jitters into something productive,” she said. They picked pizza to keep people in line because of its mass appeal and because it’s easily shared.