Judge Extends Tennessee Voting Hours After Tornadoes

Voting hours on Super Tuesday have been extended by a judge in Tennessee’s second-largest county after four Democratic presidential candidates sued to keep polls open later following the devastating tornadoes that hit Tennessee.

A Davidson County Chancery Court judge ruled that polling locations in the county whose seat is Nashville must remain open until 8 p.m. central time. According to Tennessee Democratic Party spokeswoman Emily Cupples, five “megasites,” where anyone in the tornado-hit county can go to vote, will be open until 10 p.m. under the judge’s ruling.

According to The Associated Press, the Lawyers’ Committee for Equal Protection Under Law sued Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and state election officials, “seeking a judge’s order to extend primary voting for three more days to allow voters who did not have a chance to cast ballots in three storm-damaged counties to make it to the polls.”

Judge extends voting hours at some storm-hit Tennessee locations: AP pic.twitter.com/VGXfDTlVC6

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Tennessee Democrats and campaigns for candidates Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren had sued to extend the voting hours. “Voting locations in Davidson County had opened an hour later — at 8 a.m. — after an early morning tornado damaged more than a dozen polling places and voters were advised to go to other locations to cast ballots,” reported Fox News.

According to Cupples, there were voters who showed up at 7 a.m. but their polling locations were not open, and they had to leave without getting the chance to vote. Some locations opened after 8 a.m. due to damages, and early-morning voters did not get the chance to vote either. Cupples added that lines were long at some locations that were unprepared for additional voters and people left without casting their ballots.

“This is a victory for all voters and this decision will ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate in this historic election,” Mary Mancini, chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party, said in a statement.

According to Davidson County Administrator of Elections Jeff Roberts, the extension of voting hours means election results may not be reported until early Wednesday morning.