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Long DC voting lines: Frustration seen at the polls amid mail-in voting issues, protests, curfew

The District had issues getting mail-in ballots to residents that requested them before the deadline. Social distancing also may have played a factor in long waits.

WASHINGTON — Long lines were seen at voting stations in the District, as a pandemic, multiple protests and a curfew caused overcasts for elections in D.C. 

D.C. not only saw long lines at the polls Tuesday but also had issues getting mail-in ballots to District residents before Election Day. Both D.C. and Maryland pushed for residents to move toward using mail-in ballots due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

"275 voters in a line wrapped around my polling place. My mail-in ballot never arrived despite making a city-imposed deadline. An extremely high number of requests this year but a huge failure by DC Board of Elections to process them in time," said WUSA9's Delia Goncalves

Her and many other voters waited for hours to get inside a Southeast voting center. She finally was able to vote around 10:30 p.m., and expressed that many voting machines in her voting station may have been empty as an attempt to social distance voters from one another.

It is not known at this time if the George Floyd protests may have created higher turnout or caused delays at voting stations. 

Below is a look at the current election results for D.C. and Maryland:

RELATED: Latest election results: DC and Maryland voters go to the polls while protests and a pandemic ensue

Joe Biden could seize the number of delegates needed to formally clinch the Democrats' presidential nomination on Tuesday as seven states and the District of Columbia push through a pandemic and exploding racial tensions to host the largest slate of primary elections in almost three months.

Maryland officials reportedly had three-and-a-half million ballots mailed in an effort to limit in-person voting to protect against crowded polls and the spread of coronavirus.

RELATED: Polls start closing as voters navigate protests, coronavirus

RELATED: 'We're here for a better world' | Hundreds of peaceful protesters demonstrate in downtown Bethesda

RELATED: Voting Tuesday in DC, Maryland as protests, COVID-19 cause concerns

RELATED: Joe Biden can clinch Democratic nomination delegates Tuesday night

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