Some early voting extended in Florida

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Nov. 5 (UPI) -- The hours of polling stations in some Florida counties have been extended to handle absentee balloting and accommodate for disruptions, officials said.

Polling places in Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties were open Sunday even though early voting officially ended Saturday, the Florida Democratic Party said in a statement.

A judge ordered extended hours at a Winter Park polling station in Orange county after a suspicious package disrupted the voting process Saturday, CNN reported Monday.

"We encourage registered voters in these counties to cast their ballots today," Scott Arceneaux, executive director of the Florida Democratic Party, said.

Arceneaux said he hoped a judge would grant the party's request that all polls continue to operate going into Election Day.

A complaint filed by the state Democratic Party in U.S. District Court in Miami said there were waits of up to 7 hours at some polling places as a "result of polling facilities that are inadequate" to meet the number of early voters.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott had previously denied requests to extend early voting statewide, CNN reported.