Over 27,000 register to vote after Virginia extends its deadline

RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia Department of Elections says nearly 28,000 people registered during a brief extension of the state’s voter-registration deadline.

A federal judge granted the extension Thursday after heavy demand prevented some voters from registering online.

U.S. Senior Judge Claude Hilton had ordered officials to reopen voter registration in the commonwealth and keep it open until 11:59 p.m. Friday.

Election officials said in a statement Saturday that 27,952 voter registration applications had been submitted online since the court order and before the extended deadline.

Officials said the final number of applications submitted during the window will be higher when in-person and mailed voter registration applications are processed.

Mailed voter registration applications had to be postmarked on or before Friday.