Federal judges in Georgia and Florida have rejected requests to reopen voter registration for the upcoming November election despite appeals from civil rights groups who cited the disruption caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, denied the request to extend Georgia’s voter registration deadline, citing a lack of specific evidence regarding harm to individuals. The following day, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle, appointed by former President Bill Clinton, dismissed a similar plea to reopen voter registration in Florida after the October 7 deadline.
READ: Florida Governor DeSantis Provides Updates As Hurricane Milton Starts To Make Landfall
Attorneys representing Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger argued that extending the registration deadline would create significant administrative burdens for election officials. Judge Ross agreed, noting that maintaining the current deadline was in the state’s best interest. She pointed out that the plaintiffs had not provided evidence of individuals who were unable to register.
Civil rights groups, including the League of Women Voters of Florida and the Florida NAACP, argued that the registration deadline fell inconveniently between two major hurricanes, forcing many residents to focus on safety rather than voter registration. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, however, maintained that there was ample opportunity to register before the storm. While he suggested that accommodations could be considered after assessing storm damage, he firmly opposed changing the registration deadline.
“People can register today, and that’s that. There’s nothing inhibiting your registering today. The storm has not hit yet,” DeSantis stated earlier in the week. “After the storm, we will see what damage is there. If necessary, we can consider measures similar to those taken for Hurricanes Ian and Helene, but we won’t change the registration deadline.”
The hurricanes caused significant devastation in the region, with Hurricane Helene claiming 32 lives and leaving nearly 600 missing after hitting Western North Carolina. Hurricane Milton struck Florida’s Siesta Key on Wednesday with winds of 120 mph, prompting urgent evacuations and warnings across the Gulf Coast.
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