Virginia Judge Rejects Longer Polling Hours

U.S. District Judge Richard L. Williams rejected a lawsuit Monday afternoon that sought to extend polling hours in Virginia today. William ruled that election rules allowing those in line by 7 p.m. to vote after the polls close protects voters’ rights.

The judge also revealed that he had voted early on Friday and had to stand in line for more than two hours. “It was quite a civics lesson,” Williams said.

The Advancement Project, which joined in the lawsuit with the NAACP, issued a statement saying, “With 500,000 new voters and high expected turnout the burden shouldn’t be on voters, it should be on the Commonwealth to make sure voting is accessible.”