The designation Voted During Extended Hours is the reason for provisional voting when a court order or the State Board of Elections extends the hours of voting. Members of the State Board remain available (whether in person or via teleconference) during election day for the purpose of making or relaying such decisions.
Various circumstances may lead to such extension of hours. For example, If the polls are delayed in opening for more than 15 minutes, or are interrupted for more than 15 minutes once voting has commenced, the State Board of Elections may decide to extend the closing time by an equal number of minutes. Other reasons may be related to weather events or accidents that prevent voter access to polling sites.
Whatever the reason for an authorized extension of hours may be, the law provides that any voter who is in line to vote at the time the polls are closed shall be permitted to vote, and that no one shall be permitted to vote who arrives at the voting place after the closing of the polls. In any case in which hours are lawfully extended, persons who are permitted to vote after the statutory closing time of 7:30 PM shall do so using provisional official ballots
Due to [a delay in opening the polls] [an interruption in voting], this voting site has been ordered by [the State Board of Elections] [a state/Federal Court] to extend the hours of voting until [time] p.m. North Carolina law requires all voters who vote after the statutory poll closing time of 7:30 P.M. by virtue of a federal or State court order to vote only by using a provisional official ballot. |