The North Carolina State Board of Elections voted to extend voting hours by sixty minutes in eight Durham County precincts and in Columbus County after reports of computer issues with voting machines.
The Durham County Board of Elections anonymously voted earlier Tuesday to request the extensions for the precincts. It initially requested 90-minute extensions for two precincts.
The Southern Coalition for Social Justice also filed a lawsuit Tuesday on behalf of Democracy North Carolina to keep polls in Durham County open until 9 p.m. The lawsuit is expected to be heard in Wake County Superior Court.
The N.C. State BOE directed the Durham Board of Elections to use paper poll books after issues with the electronic poll books used to check in voters, according to a State BOE press release.
In a statement released by the North Carolina Democratic Party, former Gov. Jim Hunt said the Board of Elections should approve the request.
"And it follows a deeply troubling pattern of disenfranchisement," Hunt said. "The North Carolina Board of Elections must approve the Durham County Board of Elections' request to extend voting hours, or they will be acting to deprive good people of their basic rights."
In a statement released earlier today, North Carolina GOP General Counsel Thomas Stark said the issues were solved promptly and did not warrant an extension.
"We have not yet seen any evidence that would justify extending voting hours for the entirety of Durham County due to a brief interruption in one of their 57 precincts," Stark said.
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