Judge declines to extend Georgia voting registration deadline due to Helene

A federal judge on Thursday declined to reopen voter registration in Georgia for the upcoming November elections after facing registration disruptions caused by Hurricane Helene.

The judge rejected arguments that registration should go through next Monday, stating in her ruling that there would be no extension from the original deadline, which was last Monday, The Associated Press (AP) reported.

The NAACP, the Georgia state conference of the NAACP and other advocacy groups filed a joint complaint earlier this week asking for a temporary extension for voter registration in the wake of Hurricane Helene, according to a Tuesday press release.

“In a historic election year, it is vital that every eligible voter has an opportunity to cast their ballot. As millions of Georgia residents grapple with the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene, Georgia’s election officials and state leaders have a duty to ensure a fair elections process,” NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson and Georgia state conference President Gerald Griggs said in a joint statement from Tuesday’s press release.

“Extending the voter registration deadline is essential to give impacted communities the time they need to recover and fully participate in the election process,” they added.

The lawsuit alleged that Hurricane Helene had prevented people with driver’s licenses from registering online due to power and internet outages, the AP reported. People had also been unable to register in person due to the closure of at least 37 county election offices that week.

The secretary of state’s office had prepared before the storm for potential disruptions, communications director Robert Sinners told The Hill earlier this week.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said earlier this week that no election offices have suffered long-term damage and that his office is working to ensure the safety of election workers and the functionality of equipment.

“We have to let the first responders finish doing their jobs, but as power is restored and voting locations can be assessed, we will make sure that the upcoming election is safe, secure and convenient for all Georgia voters,” Raffensperger said.

This comes as other states have made modifications related to voting in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

Last week, South Carolina had extended its voter registration deadline by eight days due to Hurricane Helene.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) issued an executive order making some changes to early voting sites for the 13 counties affected by Hurricane Helene, but no changes extending the voter registration deadline, the AP reported.