HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Pennsylvania judge on Wednesday sided with Donald Trump’s campaign and agreed to expand the possibility of in-person voting in a suburban Philadelphia county where long queues on the final day there were complaints that voters were being disenfranchised by an unprepared election office.

Judge Jeffrey Trauger said in a one-page order that Bucks County voters who want to request an early absentee ballot now have until Friday. The county, narrowly divided and led by Democrats, is often seen as a political bellwether.

The Trump campaign’s lawsuit, filed Wednesday morning, comes amid a wave of dispute And complaints on voting in a battlefield condition this is expected to play a central role in selecting the next president in the 2024 election.

The lawsuit sought a one-day extension, until Wednesday at 5 p.m., for Bucks County voters to request an absentee ballot in person, a method called on-demand absentee voting in Pennsylvania. The judge’s order allows requests until the close of business Friday.

Bucks County officials said they were “pleased to be able to offer additional days to those still looking to vote on demand.”

Trump and Republicans consider the decision a victory.

“Today’s decision is truly a victory of sorts to ensure that Pennsylvanians will benefit from a safe and orderly process,” Bill McGinley, attorney for the Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign.

Neighboring Lehigh County asked a judge Tuesday to extend the deadline by one day, to Wednesday, because of road closures in downtown Allentown. Trump rally blocked access to the elections office. The judge agreed.

In Bucks County, the Trump campaign’s lawsuit said people who stood in line before Tuesday’s 5 p.m. deadline to request an absentee ballot in person should have been allowed to get a ballot, even after the deadline. However, the Bucks County Elections Office denied voters this right and ordered them to leave, according to the lawsuit.

“This is a direct violation of Pennsylvanians’ right to vote – and all voters have the right to STAY in line,” the Trump campaign said in a statement.

The Republican National Committee and the campaign David McCormick, Republican candidate for Senate joined the trial.

In 2020, Bucks went with President Joe Biden, 52-47, when he carried the state. Four years earlier, Hillary Clinton won the Bucks by one point, 49-48, when Trump won Pennsylvania.

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration had urged counties to allow every voter who was in line before the 5 p.m. deadline to submit an absentee ballot request. In response to criticism and misinformation on social media Tuesday, Bucks County said all voters in line before 5 p.m. Tuesday would be allowed to request an absentee ballot.

Pennsylvania does not allow early voting on voting machines at polling places, as some states do.

But Bucks County, like other Pennsylvania counties, allows voters to request an absentee ballot in person at the elections office and receive it there, a lengthy process and pushed to the limit by exhortations from Trump to his supporters to get out and vote before Tuesday’s deadline. Voters can also fill it out and return it to the office.

Voters waited up to three hours Tuesday. Those still in line at 5 p.m. were told to go home, according to the lawsuit.

In neighboring Lehigh County, a steady stream of voters took advantage of the one-day extension Wednesday, heading to the basement of the voter registration office in Allentown to request an absentee ballot, fill it out and return it. poll workers explained the process as voters entered a crowded hallway.

“There are great representatives here telling everyone what to do and how to do it. It’s progressing well. I’m excited to be here,” said Jeanne Birosik, a Republican voter, as she waited for election workers to prepare her absentee ballot.

Birosik usually votes on Election Day, but in 2020, she said, she showed up at her polling place and was wrongly told she had already voted. She then filled out a provisional ballot, but didn’t want to leave anything to chance for this election.

“It seemed like a safer way to go,” she said.

Her husband, Chris Birosik, 62, who was also there to vote, said they hadn’t considered dropping off their ballots by mail weeks ago — too risky, in his opinion.

“I just feel more confident that we’re getting there and doing it this way,” he said.

Early voting anxiety in Bucks County is the latest dust-up vote in Pennsylvaniawhich has the most electoral votes of any battleground state and is by far the most visited state by the Democratic and Republican presidential lists this year. The run-up to Election Day in the state has been marked by numerous battles over mail-in ballots, with some ending up on the ground. at the gates of the United States Supreme Court.

In Erie County, where more than 40,000 people have requested early mail voting, Democrats raised concerns in a lawsuit Wednesday that thousands of voters were still waiting for them. The suit also alleged that some 1,800 ballots were lost due to postal problems and that approximately 300 people received two ballots, including some for the wrong races.

To address these issues, the county agreed to extend voter registration hours and help voters cast provisional ballots in Tuesday’s election. A hearing was set for Thursday in state court.

“We just want to make sure the problem doesn’t continue by overloading the system with provisional ballots,” said Clifford Levine, attorney for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. “I think everyone wants everyone’s vote to count.”

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Associated Press journalists Michael Rubinkam in Allentown, Mike Catalini in Morrisville, Maryclaire Dale in Philadelphia and Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this story.

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Follow Marc Lévy on twitter.com/timelywriter.