The article also discusses NAACP's suit.
One week before the Nov. 4 election, a courtroom showdown is looming in Virginia over whether the battleground state is prepared to handle what is expected to be a historic voter turnout.
Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) and his top elections officials yesterday launched an impassioned defense of the state's ability to handle the crowds, disputing claims in a lawsuit filed late Monday on behalf of the NAACP that the state has not allocated enough voting machines, poll workers and polling places, particularly in precincts with large minority populations.
Maryland and District officials are also expecting record turnout, which already has spawned long lines for in-person absentee voting, and say they are taking steps to ensure that Election Day goes as smoothly as possible. Still, they concede that long lines could delay results and cause some voters to give up before casting a ballot.
Never have so many people in the region registered to vote, and with the intense interest in the presidential election, officials expect turnout rates as high as 90 percent. Virginia has added 500,000 registered voters to its rolls since the 2004 presidential election and now has more than 5 million. Maryland's list has grown 10 percent, to almost 3.5 million, and the District has almost 427,000.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/28/AR2008102801788.html