A federal judge in Georgia has denied the request to reopen voter registration for the upcoming November elections. US District Judge Eleanor Ross ruled after a hearing on Wednesday that the voting rights groups involved in the lawsuit did not provide enough evidence to prove that the damage caused by Hurricane Helene unfairly deprived people of the opportunity to register before the deadline. The judge scheduled another hearing for Thursday to consider more evidence and legal arguments. State officials and the state Republican Party argued that it would be a burden on counties to register additional voters as they prepare for early in-person voting to begin.
The lawsuit was filed by three voting rights groups in Georgia, including the NAACP and the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda. These groups claim that they had to cancel voter registration activities last week due to the impact of Hurricane Helene. The plaintiffs argue that the voters who could not register by the deadline will be deprived of their fundamental right to vote. Georgia has 8.2 million registered voters, and with the state’s presidential race having been decided by a slim margin in the past, a few thousand votes could make a significant difference in determining the outcome.
The groups involved in the lawsuit cited various challenges that people faced in registering to vote, including power outages, internet disruptions, and closed election offices due to the storm. They also mentioned that mail services were suspended in several counties, affecting those who needed to register in person or by mail. The plaintiffs argued that the state should extend the registration deadline to ensure that all eligible voters have the opportunity to participate in the upcoming elections. The state officials, however, maintained that the registration period had been open for a long time and that people could have registered earlier.
The Assistant Attorney General argued that the voting rights groups and potential voters were affected by the hurricane and not by government actions. She also pointed out that the plaintiffs did not identify any specific individuals who were harmed by the failure to register to vote. The state and national Republican Party’s lawyer also emphasized that people had ample time to register before the deadline and that adding an additional burden on counties to register more voters would be unreasonable. A federal judge in Florida denied a similar request to reopen voter registration after the hurricane, and the plaintiffs are considering whether to appeal the decision.
The impact of Hurricane Helene on voter registration deadlines has been seen in other states as well. South Carolina extended its registration deadline, while Georgia and Florida previously extended deadlines after Hurricane Matthew in 2016. In North Carolina, which was heavily impacted by the storm, the registration deadline is set for Friday, allowing voters to register and cast their ballots during the state’s early in-person voting period. The debate over extending voter registration deadlines in the aftermath of natural disasters continues to be a contentious issue, with various legal arguments being presented in different states.
