WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Virginia lawmakers say they will examine lengthening voting hours after Tuesday night’s ice storm kept Virginia commuters from the polls.

The Virginia Board of Elections also will ask the General Assembly for reforms that would make it easier to extend hours in the case of emergency.

Residents complained Wednesday that the state did not extend hours beyond the polls’ scheduled 7 p.m. closing for drivers stuck on icy and clogged highways, while Maryland added 90 minutes to compensate for the gridlocked regional road network.

The state had no estimate Wednesday of the number of voters unable to make it by the 7 p.m. close, but Election Board Secretary Nancy Rodrigues said, “Even one vote is too many.”

The state Board of Elections has no authority to extend its hours and must rely on campaigns or political parties to ask a judge to make the decision.

“I can’t take out my magic wand,” Rodrigues said. “It takes a court order to do this.”

The severity of the traffic problems was not clear until less than an hour before the polls closed. While election officials prepared at 6:45 p.m. for a campaign to request a court order, they learned five minutes later that none was coming, and the polls closed on time at 7 p.m.

The state can consider a number of remedies next year, including keeping polls open longer for all elections and reviewing procedures for emergency conditions, said Del. Mark Cole, R-Fredericksburg, chairman of a committee overseeing elections.

“My district is predominantly commuters, so I know that it’s tough. Anytime somebody has a flat tire on I-95, it adds an hour to the trip,” Cole said.

The decision to extend Maryland voting hours, which were scheduled to close at 8 p.m., came just after Virginia polls had closed.

Jeanette Der Bedrosian contributed to this report.

Timeline

» 6 p.m.: Virginia officials talk with party officials about the weather problems.

» 6:45 p.m.: Virginia officials alert county and city election registrars that voting hours could be extended.

» 7 p.m.: Virginia polls close.

» Just after 7 p.m.: Maryland extends voting deadline from 8 to 9:30 p.m.

» 9:30 p.m.: Maryland polls close.

» Midnight: Traffic gridlock at the Springfield Mixing Bowl is finally cleared.

dgenz@dcexaminer.com

Comments from Examiner Readers

10:08 AM MST on Tue., May. 13, 2008 re: "O�Malley turns weatherman after emergency briefing"

Examiner Reader said:
O'Malley would make a better weather man than he is a politician. He could lie about the weather and blame it on Bob Ehrlich and global warming.

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4:27 AM MST on Tue., May. 13, 2008 re: "O�Malley turns weatherman after emergency briefing"

Examiner Reader said:
Had it not been for global warming there would be 40 inches of snow laying on the ground right now with many people losing thier lives!

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7:55 PM MST on Thu., Feb. 14, 2008 re: "Va. to scrutinize ice-clearing strategy after icy highways overwhelm crews"

Examiner Reader said:
Was the issue with VDOT and /or the lack of the national /local reporting

115 agree | 130 disagree
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7:30 PM MST on Thu., Feb. 14, 2008 re: "Va. to scrutinize ice-clearing strategy after icy highways overwhelm crews"

Examiner Reader said:
Virginia definitely doesn't know how to handle this type of weather, let alone do Virginia drivers know how to drive. Being from Indiana, it cracks me up to see places of business closing down because the weather report says there's a chance of snow. People need to slow down and remember what driver's ed taught them, it'll save lives.

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4:59 PM MST on Thu., Feb. 14, 2008 re: "Va. to scrutinize ice-clearing strategy after icy highways overwhelm crews"

Examiner Reader said:
Cabin fever!!!

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4:37 PM MST on Thu., Feb. 14, 2008 re: "Va. to scrutinize ice-clearing strategy after icy highways overwhelm crews"

Examiner Reader said:
The problem is that Virginia does not know how to handle winter weather. It's not just highways. "It was a perfect storm at a perfect time..."? Gimme a break. Just own up to not having enough DOT trucks, and to not having an efficient plan when snow/ice falls. There certainly are plenty of other states that deal with snow/ice every year, yet they don't seem to have these issues. It's amazing really.

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7:37 PM MST on Fri., Feb. 1, 2008 re: "Today's weather: More of the same"

Examiner Reader said:
ok

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4:20 AM MST on Tue., Jan. 22, 2008 re: "Baltimore braces as forecasters predict prolonged cold weather"

Tinker said:
Just think how much colder it would be if "AL" had not invented global warming!

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9:51 AM MST on Fri., Jan. 4, 2008 re: "Alameda-Oakland ferry cancels morning trips"

Examiner Reader said:
Actually, there was also a 7:05 ferry from Oakland to SF that I was on - what a wild ride!

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