COLUMBUS -- The eyes of the nation fell upon Ohio last night, and once again election problems promised to tarnish that vision, as polls were ordered to remain open longer because of voting problems.

It promised to be a long night of counting votes, or even just collecting the votes.

A judge granted the secretary of state's request to keep open polling places in Sandusky County, in Ohio's northwest, because they ran out of Democratic paper ballots amid an unusually high voter turnout.

Another judge ordered the board of elections in Cuyahoga County, which includes Cleveland, to keep open 22 precincts an extra 90 minutes -- until 9 p.m. -- after hearing arguments from the Democratic presidential campaign of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. Jeff Hastings, chairman of Cuyahog's elections board, said his understanding was that there were weather-related issues as well as shortages of Democratic ballots at those locations.

Ohio's presidential primary election, especially the Democratic contest between Mr. Obama and New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, attracted intense political notice because it -- along with the primary voting yesterday in Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont -- was expected by some observers to be Mrs. Clinton's last stand. Even her husband, former President Bill Clinton, has said victories in Ohio and Texas, delegate-rich states, were necessary for her to remain in the race.

In his campaigning, Mr. Obama repeatedly attacked Mrs. Clinton for her past support of the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada, whittling down her 21-point lead in polls three weeks ago to basically a dead heat in Ohio.

Soldiering on, Mrs. Clinton traveled the state Sunday and Monday, ending her Ohio campaigning in Toledo, where she blasted Mr. Obama for his staff's alleged back-channel assurance to Canada's government that his rhetorical attacks on NAFTA were merely political "positioning." The Obama camp denied making such a representation.

Last night, Mrs. Clinton reserved the Columbus Athenaeum, an ornate, old-fashioned, 19th-century convention and performance hall, to host her campaign's party, whatever the outcome. By 11 p.m., both CNN and MSNBC were awarding the state to her.

Ohio's Gov. Ted Strickland, who had accompanied Mrs. Clinton to numerous cities and towns in his state over the past two weeks and had given speeches in her behalf, continued to show confidence last night. He took exception to those who set an impossibly high standard for her to continue in the race, saying that if she wins at all in Ohio and Rhode Island and comes close in Texas, "I'd say go for it."

"We need to get the best candidate as the nominee of our party," the governor said. "There'll be plenty of time to focus on [the presumptive Republican nominee, Arizona Sen.] John McCain. Let's give the Pennsylvanians a chance to express themselves."

Primary voting is April 22 in Pennsylvania, which political observers consider to be friendly territory for Mrs. Clinton.

Ohio's Democratic chairman, Chris Redfern, said Monday that, barring an eight-point victory in both Texas and Ohio, Mrs. Clinton should withdraw and let the party begin uniting against Mr. McCain.

Both candidates visited Ohio's major cities. Mrs. Clinton typically found high school gyms large enough for her crowds. Mr. Obama reserved -- and filled -- university gyms in Youngstown, Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Akron and Toledo, with thousands turned away.

Where Mr. Obama was celebrity enough himself to attract huge crowds, Mrs. Clinton brought along well-known speakers to add star appeal. In Toledo -- in addition to the usual state and national politicians -- she appeared with actors Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen, who told Ohioans that it was within the power of state voters to put Mrs. Clinton in the White House.

The former first lady, seeking votes in Ohio's more rural south, spent two days last week hosting a summit on Appalachia.

Despite yesterday's freezing rain and sleet, which fell throughout much of Ohio, primary voting was unusually intense. Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner estimated turnout as high as 52 percent of registered voters -- 15 points higher than the average for past presidential primaries.

Both camps accused the other of causing or allowing election irregularities. Ohio for Hillary State Director Robby Mook said, "We have heard troubling reports of irregularities and inappropriate behavior by Sen. Obama's campaign across the state." He cited a report on the Atlantic Monthly magazine's Web site: "Ohio's secretary of state, an office held by a Democrat, has rebuked Sen. Barack Obama's campaign for trying to staff precincts with poll workers who presented insufficient credentials."

Paul Tewes, director of Mr. Obama's Ohio campaign, said the Clinton camp was trying to depress the turnout "because Barack Obama has closed the 20-point gap over the course of this month, as voters across the state got to know him." He said there were reports of Republicans and independents being denied Democratic ballots.

David Schulz, a Toledo Republican, said he voted Democratic just to keep the rival party fighting for as long as possible. "The thought hit me the other day that I should vote for her [Mrs. Clinton] to keep the race going, with the hopes that the race [would] go on until the summer and have a muddled and bloody convention," he said.