WASHINGTON (AP) — A recent federal report shows that Maryland and Virginia were among the worst-performing states when it came to delays in the 2012 elections.

Officials in both states are hoping to avoid a repeat of the problem Nov. 4. They’ve bought new equipment, carved out smaller precincts and trained volunteers to better manage long lines.

The Washington Post reports (http://wapo.st/1sVszOM ) that the Government Accountability Office found that Maryland, Virginia and Florida were the nation’s three worst-performing states in terms of delays during the 2012 elections.

The report found that about 12 percent of voters in Maryland and Virginia had to wait more than an hour to vote, sometimes outdoors in the cold. At one precinct in Prince William County, voters were forced to wait outside for as long as four hours.

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Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com

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