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Long lines, some confusion on last day for on-demand voting in Bucks County
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Long lines, some confusion on last day for on-demand voting in Bucks County

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (WPVI) — Voters in Bucks County waited in long lines to take advantage of on-demand voting after a lawsuit forced the county to extend the deadline for mail-in voting.

“I thought, ‘What a great opportunity to take advantage of,'” said Brian Hensel, who waited in line for more than an hour at the Bucks County Administration Building in Doylestown.

Hensel said that after missing the original Oct. 29 deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot, he was glad to handle the process before Election Day.

“We were all talking about it. It’s like being at an amusement park and you get to know the people in line,” he said.

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He is one of hundreds of people in Bucks County who took advantage of the extra time to cast their ballots.

That meant voters could request, receive, complete and return postal ballots in one trip.

It’s different from voting in person at a machine on Election Day.

“He said, ‘Are you voting in person today?'” Christine Chianese of New Hope said of her experience in line. “I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, “Complete this.”

Chianese filled out her vote-by-mail application while waiting in line.

The process caused some confusion.

“I still will,” Chianese said.

The original deadline for Pennsylvania to request a mail-in ballot was Tuesday at 5 p.m.

The The Trump campaign later sued Bucks Countyaccusing officials of turning away voters before that deadline.

A judge said in a one-page order that Bucks County voters who want to request an early mail-in ballot now have until Friday at 5 p.m.

There seemed to be some confusion as to whether you had to be in line by 5pm or if your claim had to be processed by 5pm

A judge sided with the Trump campaign and extended the deadline in Bucks County, leading to long lines at both the satellite county seats in Levittown, Quakertown, and the main office in Doylestown.

There, voters all had their own reasons for opting for postal ballots.

“I’ve always voted on election day, I’m a firm believer in that, but this year I volunteered to be a poll watcher,” said Matthew Tevnan of Warrington.

“We decided to come together and vote early,” Swati Kaushik said of her and her family. “I was hoping it would be a smaller line, but it’s not.”

Open county offices also gave mail-in voters a chance to resolve issues before Election Day.

Kelly Durie says she returned her ballot two weeks ago, but it was never processed.

“Both of our ballots have not yet been received, although we handed them to a person behind the window in this building,” Durie said.

Bucks County officials say anyone in line by the end of the business day — that’s 5 p.m. at county offices in Doylestown and 4:30 p.m. at satellite offices in Levittown and Quakertown — will have the opportunity to vote on application.

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