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Court orders Suffolk polling location to stay open past 7 p.m.

The precinct affected was East Suffolk Recreational Center. It will stay open until 7:20 p.m.

SUFFOLK, Va. — A court ordered a Suffolk polling location to stay open 20 minutes extra due to an issue with the voting machines earlier Tuesday.

The precinct affected was East Suffolk Recreational Center, which didn't open until 6:20 a.m., according to Suffolk General Registrar Burdette Lawrence. 

The delayed opening stemmed from problems with an electronic poll book, which is used to check voters in before they cast a ballot.

The polling location will now stay open until 7:20 p.m., 20 minutes after Virginia's polls close, per an order from the Suffolk Circuit Court.

13News Now reached out to the Virginia Department of Elections for comment on the situation, but a spokesperson said the department "does not comment on pending litigation."

In a Tuesday morning briefing, Virginia Elections Commissioner Susan Beals said several precincts across the state had issues with electronic poll books on Election Day but claimed the issue didn't stop anyone from voting.

Beals explained that precincts that use electronic poll books have a backup paper poll book they could revert to.

She attributed the issue to a learning curb for "a new generation" of poll books that election workers had to set up to operate correctly.

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