The White House says it won’t push back the March 31 deadline to sign up for coverage under President Barack Obama’s health care law. But if you already started an application, you may get some extra time to finish it.

Spokesman Jay Carney told reporters Friday that the administration wants to make sure — quote— “that people who are already in line can finish their enrollment.”

Carney points to what happened last December, when the administration granted an extra day to people trying to enroll for coverage effective Jan. 1.

Officials didn’t call that an extension, not even a grace period. They compared it to the Election Day practice of allowing people to vote if they are in line when the polls close.

Carney says details haven’t been finalized.

(AP)