What happens if long wait and then polls close

[Demfromct]

Let us say Ohio, where polls close at 8 p.m. and it is a 2 hour wait. If you get to the poll at 7:30 p.m., can you vote at 9:30 p.m. What are the rules for this occasion?

Any news stories on this situation or clearly defined rules? Anyone? Anyone?

[Joe the Revelator]

1. If your in line when the polls close...

you vote.

[phish420]

2. That's right...its the law...nt

[Journeyman]

5. That's the way the law reads in California. . .

I can't imagine it's any different elsewhere in the country: If you get in line before the polls close, and stay in line, you will be allowed to vote.

[TimeToGo]

3. If you are in line

you can vote. They tried this in FL last time -- telling people they had to go home because the polling had to stop at 7:00 -- but they were wrong -- STAY IN LINE if you are there before 7:00.

[blondeatlast]

4. If you are in line when the polls close, they MUST let you vote.

They give the last person in line at closing time a chit to indicate they are the last person to be allowed; kind of like at the bank drive-thru.

[Lefty48197]

6. Yup. In line by 8 = eligible to vote

bring a book, drinks, cigarettes... whatever it takes. Make a party out of it. Make it a social event. After all, that's what it was intended to be.

[clydefrand]

7. In VA, you are allowed to vote if you're in line no matter the time.

[Walt Starr]

8. Under the law, a poll worker should come out and go to the back

of the line to turn people away. All in front of them still get to vote.

This si why I expect we will not know a winner prior to 4:00 AM Central time as I expect polls will remain open a lot longer than expected to handle the long lines.

[snippy]

9. This had not occurred to me but I think you are right about the long

lines at the polls when they are scheduled to close. A lot of results may be delayed.

[Shopaholic]

10. Make sure you've got the hot line numbers with you in case they

try to keep you from voting. But the LAW is very clear on this-if you are already in line when the polls close-you are still allowed to vote. I've been a poll worker several times and we use a fire station as our voting location. We'd just round everyone up at 7pm in lines that snaked back and forth and around the building and closed the doors at 7pm. If you were in the building at 7pm, you got to vote, even if it took 2 more hours to get through the line.