CROWN POINT | The Lake County elections board voted 3-2 Monday afternoon to extend early voting hours an additional 19 1/2 hours between Monday and noon on the eve of Election Day.

The Gary, Hammond, East Chicago and Crown Point early voting sites will be open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday this week, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday and 8:30 a.m. to noon Monday Nov. 3.

The vote meant the Gary courthouse voting site remained opened an additional hour Monday to accommodate scores of voters who were standing in line to access the single electronic voting machine.

Michelle Fajman, county elections supervisor, said the additional hours are needed to accommodate an unprecedented voter turnout that she said already approaches 10,000 who have voted early and in person in the county.

"We have huge numbers," she said.

Fajman said Lake County Democratic Chairman Rudy Clay asked for the additional time. The two Republican board members questioned the need for the extension and voted against it.