March 3, 2020 at 5:48 p.m. EST

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A judge has ruled that all Tennessee polls must extend Super Tuesday hours in the wake of tornado devastation, a state Democratic Party spokeswoman said Tuesday.

The Tennessee Democratic Party had sued the Davidson County elections commission and Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett’s office to extend voting hours in the tornado-stricken county.

The suit sought to extend polling hours from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Central Time.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

The Tennessee Democratic Party has sued the Davidson County elections commission and Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett’s office to extend voting hours in the tornado-stricken county.

The suit seeks to extend polling hours from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Central Time.

Voting locations in Davidson county had opened an hour later — at 8 a.m. — after an early morning tornado damaged more than a dozen polling places and voters were advised to go to other locations to cast ballots.

Party spokeswoman Emily Cupples said some voters showed up at 7 a.m. to cast their votes but their polling locations were not open and they had to leave without being able to vote. Also, some locations opened after 8 a.m. due to damage, and voters were not able to cast ballots either.

Lines were long at some locations that were unprepared for additional voters and people left without casting their ballots, Cupples said.

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