Judges Refuse To Extend Voter Registration Deadlines In Georgia, Florida Following Hurricanes

Federal judges in Georgia and Florida on Wednesday and Thursday declined requests to reopen voter registration ahead of the upcoming November election.

U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, ruled that the requests to extend Georgia’s voter registration lacked sufficient clarity and detail regarding the specific harms to individuals, while U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle, appointed by former President Bill Clinton, rejected a plea to reopen voter registration after the October 7 cutoff, according to CNN. The decisions come despite vigorous appeals from civil rights and voting groups, who argued that the disruption caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton warranted an extension of registration deadlines.

Attorneys for Republican Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger contended that extending the deadline would impose a significant administrative burden on election offices, CNN reported. Judge Ross agreed, stating that the harm to the state’s interest in maintaining the current deadline outweighed the plaintiffs’ concerns.

“The plaintiffs haven’t pointed to any statute or authority that the defendants had to extend the deadline,” Judge Ross said. “We did not hear from anyone specifically who could not register to vote.”

Civil rights groups, including the League of Women Voters of Florida and the Florida NAACP, argued that the deadline was inconveniently set between two major hurricanes, forcing some residents to prioritize their safety over registering to vote, CNN stated. Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pointed out that there were no impediments to registering before the latest hurricane, hinting at possible future accommodations after assessing storm damage but firmly against changing the registration deadline.

“People can register today, and then that’s that. There’s nothing inhibiting your registering today. The storm has not hit yet,” DeSantis said Monday, CNN reported. “Now, after the storm, we will see what damage is there. And if I have to do a similar executive order that I did in (Hurricane) Ian and then I did for Helene, we’re happy to do it. But we’re not going to change any registration deadline. You can register today, and there doesn’t need to – there’s no reason to open that up.”

After its landfall, Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc in the Southeast claiming 32 lives, leaving nearly 600 missing and causing severe disruptions by destroying homes and infrastructure in Western North Carolina. Hurricane Milton struck Siesta Key, Florida, on Wednesday with 120 mph winds, prompting urgent evacuations and preparedness warnings from officials along the Gulf Coast.

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