LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A couple of hours after the Charles Booker campaign filed an injunction to keep polls open in Jefferson County until 9 p.m., a judge has denied that request.
Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Annie O'Connell denied the motion late Tuesday.
The Booker campaign filed the injunction, citing "extensive traffic delays around the Expo Center, which is serving as the sole polling location for all voters in Jefferson County, home to most of the state’s Black voters."
Voters were seen outside of the Expo Center banging on doors around 6 p.m. to be let inside.
However the court did order allow those outside the venue to vote until 6:30 p.m.
Judge Annie O'Connell released her handwritten motion in response to the Booker campaign.
Motion having been made and this court being sufficiently advised, the court finds:
- KRS 118.035 requires that the polls close at 6 p.m.
- This motion is made, arguing that as a result of traffic congestion, voters intending to vote are being impeding (sic) from getting to the polling place.
- This court has ordered that individuals who are present inside the doors of the Expo Center no later than 6:30 p.m. shall be permitted to vote to accommodate those who were present at the Expo Center.
- Otherwise the request that polls remain open until 9 p.m. due to traffic congestion is based on speculation, rather than any evidence that specific, individual voters cannot reach the Expo Center.
- Thus, the motion to allow polls to remain open until 9 p.m. is denied.