North Carolina agrees to extend poll hours

The North Carolina Board of Elections has agreed to extend voting in eight precincts in Durham County, where Democrats have a 4-to-1 registration advantage over Republicans.

The state board voted 3-2 Tuesday night to extend voting by an hour in two precincts most affected by a computer glitch. The problem forced poll workers to check for registered voters on paper printouts, causing long lines at some locations.

The board says six more precincts can stay open for a shorter time.

The NAACP’s North Carolina chapter had asked for the eight precincts to stay open for 90 extra minutes. Hillary Clinton’s campaign also supported keeping the polls open later in Durham.

Two groups filed lawsuits seeking to keep the polls open, but a state superior court judge declined to intervene.

The state got more attention than usual this election, and exit polls show why.

Exit polls conducted by Edison Research for national media outlets suggest a tight finish between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump for the state’s 15 electoral votes.

The polls suggest a majority of men back Trump, while Clinton won a majority among women — with the margins essentially even. The polls suggest women made up slightly more of the electorate.

About four out of five nonwhite voters backed Clinton, while about six out of 10 white voters supported Trump. But the exit polls don’t offer definitive information about actual turnout among those groups, with the estimates again pointing to a close finish.

— AP