Gov. Terry McAuliffe appealed to a federal court to extend the state’s voter registration deadline Wednesday after a system crash prevented “tens of thousands” of voters from registering.
McAuliffe asked U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton to hold a hearing on the matter and extend registration to allow everyone who was unable to register before Monday’s deadline to do so. The appeal to a federal judge came a day after Virginia residents launched a civil rights lawsuit over the incident. Officials said the online system was overwhelmed by web traffic after roughly 21,000 people used the deadline day to register, crashing the system, reports The Washington Post.
One registrar estimated that “tens of thousands” of voters were prevented from registering before the state deadline Monday night.
“Let’s let them get in to vote,” McAuliffe told The Washington Post. “I think it’s a great thing for democracy.”
A civil rights group launched a lawsuit Tuesday on behalf of a couple from Charlottesville who attempted online registration on both Sunday and Monday but failed. The Washington-based firm, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, argue the constitutional rights of citizens across the state are being deprived by poorly constructed technology.
Before this election cycle, the highest single-day traffic the site had to cope with was 2,200 people. Roughly 120,000 Virginians registered to vote in the first 17 days of October. Initially it appeared there would be no simple way to rectify the situation. McAuliffe and state officials said any extension would require action from the Virginia General Assembly because the deadline is established in state law.
“We have never in Virginia history seen anything like it,” McAuliffe told The Washington Post. “I know some people are talking about voter apathy. We’re not seeing that here in the commonwealth of Virginia.”
Judge Hilton will hear the case in Alexandria Thursday.
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