Democrats, civil rights groups push for voter registration extension in hurricane-hit battleground states

Weeks after the November election after two hurricanes, Democratic and civil rights groups in various states, including swing states coveted by Democrats and Republicans, have filed lawsuits seeking extensions to voter registration deadlines.

Just this week, a motion by civil rights groups for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction was denied in Georgia, where the voter registration deadline was Monday.

The Georgia Conference of the NAACP, the Georgia Coalition for the People's Agenda, and Stacey Abrams' New Georgia Project will support Gov. Brian Kemp, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the Republican National Committee, and the Georgia Republican Party. filed the first complaint against. On the 7th, he argued that not extending the deadline would violate voters' rights.

Raffensberger's office responded to the court's decision in a statement, saying, “We do not believe that any voter was harmed or likely to be harmed by failing to register to vote.'' I agree.” “”

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He also held a press conference immediately after the hurricane to announce various steps the state had taken to ensure people could get to the polls.

In Florida, District Judge Robert L. Hinkle denied a motion to issue a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction to block the Oct. 7 deadline and extend registration for an additional 10 days. .

Workers, community members and business owners clean up debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Helen in Marshall, North Carolina, September 30, 2024. (Javin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The lawsuit was originally filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida by several civil rights groups: the League of Women Voters, the Florida Education Fund League of Women Voters, and the Florida Chapter of the NAACP. . Originally from Code Bird State. Failure to extend the deadline would violate the First and Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clauses and place an undue burden on the right to vote.

They argued that the registration deadline also benefits voters in Florida not affected by the hurricane.

Civil rights groups say the failure to extend the deadline “violates the First and Fourteenth Amendment equal protection clauses and imposes an undue burden on voting rights.” He is suing DeSantis and Secretary of State Cord Byrd. (Octavio Jones/Getty Images)

Jason Torchinski, a Republican election attorney, said requests to extend voter registration deadlines in Florida are not uncommon and are “always denied.” But in Georgia, Torchinski predicted that extending the voter registration deadline would make little, if any, difference given the state's registration rates.

Democratic political commentator Kaivan Schroff and Greta Bedekovic, deputy director of Democratic Policy at the left-leaning Center for American Progress, both specifically targeted DeSantis and Kemp.

“Republican Governors Kemp and DeSantis appear to be playing partisan politics and trying to prevent people from exercising their right to vote in the wake of these tragic natural disasters,” Schroff told Fox News Digital. spoke.

“But we don't know if that's going to be the case this time, because if you look at urban centers like Tampa, they've been trending toward redder in recent years.”

“Governors in Georgia and Florida have issued emergency policy orders in the past to expand voting and registration options in the aftermath of the hurricanes, including during the 2022 election cycle. There is no reason they can't do the same this year.” he said. he told FOX News Digital.

Mark Ard, director of external affairs for the Florida Department of State, told Fox News Digital that Florida's voter registration system has been running 24 hours a day since the 2022 election, giving voters plenty of time to register to vote. and upheld Judge Hinkle's decision. .

“The Department of State and state election regulators have recognized and publicly announced the October 7, 2024 date. States have a significant interest in maintaining the deadline set by Congress,” the statement said. . “We are pleased that the court ruled in Florida’s favor, recognizing the state’s substantial interest in upholding the voter registration deadline and denying plaintiffs’ attempts to change Florida law.”

The roof of Tropicana Field is damaged the morning after Hurricane Milton struck the area, October 10, 2024 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Cecil M. Schoon, co-chair of the Florida League of Women Voters, a plaintiff in the case, expressed disappointment with the ruling, saying the lawsuit was not politically motivated.

“We've been filing these types of lawsuits for years. So where does it stand politically?” Swoon told Fox News Digital. “We were filing these cases before any political party came forward.

“So we have a history of being concerned about voters, regardless of how they vote. And frankly, I do a lot of voter registration, but I've never tried to register to vote in my entire life. If you try too hard, a lot of people won't register to vote.'' They say probably more than 50% are registered to vote for Trump. ”

Republican election attorney Jason Torchinski noted that requests to extend voter registration deadlines in Florida are not unusual. (image)

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Fox News Digital also spoke with Chad Ennis, vice president of the conservative nonprofit Honest Elections Project, who noted that some of the lawsuits were filed near the state's voter registration deadline, and said that some of the lawsuits were filed near state voter registration deadlines. The judge, who refused to extend the period, “recognized the right.'' The decision takes the time frame into consideration. ”

“I don't want to say it's politically motivated, but the left always wants people to register to vote until Election Day,” Ennis said. “In many cases during COVID-19, they used COVID-19 as an excuse to change deadlines, and unfortunately, in some cases, they tried to use hurricanes to try to change deadlines. ”

Democratic strategist Leslie Marshall told FOX News Digital that she thinks the rejection of the voter registration extension could actually hurt Republicans in November.

“This is a close race, and Donald Trump and the Republican Party have not profited from their relationship with women, they have profited from African-Americans, especially male African-Americans, so this ruling gives them the benefit of the doubt. You could end up shooting yourself in the foot,” Marshall said. Said.

Various voting rights groups in states hardest hit by the storm called for voter registration deadlines to be extended after the storm. (Bill Ingram/Palm Beach Post/USA Today Network via Reuters)

Meanwhile, the South Carolina Democratic Party (SCDP) sued the South Carolina State Board of Elections after a circuit court judge ruled to extend the registration deadline until October 14th. Democrats succeeded in their legal maneuvering.

“We are pleased that the voter registration deadline has been extended. This is not a partisan issue. It is a matter of public interest and ensuring that the right to vote is protected for everyone,” said SCDP President Cristale Spain. ” he said.

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John Michael Catalano, director of communications for the South Carolina State Board of Elections, said the agency was able to “comply with the order with minimal impact on election administration. “We do not anticipate any problems for voters during voting or on Election Day.”

Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key on Wednesday night, leaving about 3.2 million people without power in Florida alone by Thursday afternoon. Milton struck as a Category 3 storm, weeks after Hurricane Helen pummeled parts of Florida and devastated North Carolina.