VOTER ISSUES IN VA AND PA. What is the deal with this?

From Election Protection...
Voters are reporting major obstacles to casting their ballot in polling locations across Virginia and Pennsylvania, which could disenfranchise thousands of voters in each state.

Long lines, broken voting machines, ballot shortages and misused absentee ballots are just some of the problems that threaten voting.

VIRGINIA: Dozens of polling places are experiencing varying degrees of machine malfunctions. Some polling places are either completely closed or have been closed for hours. Thousands of voters may have been turned away illegally by polling workers. Voters have illegally been issued with provisional ballets where machines have been broken.

Students at Virginia Tech, previously the victims of misinformation, have seen their polling place suddenly and unexpectedly moved six miles to a location with little parking.

*** UPDATE *** Per NBC's Wendy Jones, producer on site: The Virginia Election authority says: Virginia Tech students are not being turned away. Because of traffic congestion, they are being directed to satellite parking.

PENNSYLVANIA: Voting machine malfunctions are widespread and at least a dozen locations, mainly focused on Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Election Protection has received reports of campaign materials being illegally distributed at polling locations in Pittsburgh. Voters across the state are reporting that they never received their absentee ballots, which is creating additional chaos at the polls.

Several other states like Florida, Ohio, Colorado and Michigan are reporting long lines due to problems with registration lists and poll locations.

Election Protection legal volunteers are working to resolve these issues quickly to ensure that no one leaves their polling location without effectively casting a ballot. Voting rights experts urge voters to stay patient and cooperative in the meantime and to report all instances of voter intimidation or disenfranchisement to Election Protection’s 866-OUR-VOTE hotline immediately.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/11/04/1634499.aspx