November 3, 2008 5:35 PM
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NAACP Loses Lawsuit To Keep Virginia Polls Open
In response to a lawsuit filed by the NAACP last week, a federal judge in Virginia has ruled that the state will not be forced to schedule longer voting hours and reallocate some voting machines to black precincts.
In the lawsuit, the NAACP said the state was not prepared for tomorrow's election, where record turnout is expected. It argued that there were not enough voting machines for areas that predominately serve African-American voters, and asked governor Tim Kaine to extend voting hours from 7pm to 10pm.
As CBS 6 reports, the ruling from the judge today means that hours will remain the same and that voting machines will not be moved.
The Virginia State Board of Elections released a statement that it was pleased with the decision.
"The SBE wants to remind voters that the polls open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m.," they said. "At 6:45 p.m. it will be announced that the polls are about to close. Any voter who is in line to vote by 7:00 p.m. will still be able to cast their vote."
Also in Virginia, the campaign of John McCain has sued the electoral board to force the state to count late-arriving overseas military ballots, the Associated Press reports.
The lawsuit, which was filed today, asks that any overseas absentee ballots sent by tomorrow and received as late as November 14th be counted.
UPDATE: Also Monday, the Virginia State Board Of Elections released a "rumor buster" saying it "has received reports from multiple locations throughout the state that automated calls are providing incorrect polling place locations." Earlier, as Horserace reported, a flyer surfaced telling Democrats to vote on Nov. 5th.
In the lawsuit, the NAACP said the state was not prepared for tomorrow's election, where record turnout is expected. It argued that there were not enough voting machines for areas that predominately serve African-American voters, and asked governor Tim Kaine to extend voting hours from 7pm to 10pm.
As CBS 6 reports, the ruling from the judge today means that hours will remain the same and that voting machines will not be moved.
The Virginia State Board of Elections released a statement that it was pleased with the decision.
"The SBE wants to remind voters that the polls open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m.," they said. "At 6:45 p.m. it will be announced that the polls are about to close. Any voter who is in line to vote by 7:00 p.m. will still be able to cast their vote."
Also in Virginia, the campaign of John McCain has sued the electoral board to force the state to count late-arriving overseas military ballots, the Associated Press reports.
The lawsuit, which was filed today, asks that any overseas absentee ballots sent by tomorrow and received as late as November 14th be counted.
UPDATE: Also Monday, the Virginia State Board Of Elections released a "rumor buster" saying it "has received reports from multiple locations throughout the state that automated calls are providing incorrect polling place locations." Earlier, as Horserace reported, a flyer surfaced telling Democrats to vote on Nov. 5th.
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Brian Montopoli Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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