Georgia’s Voter Registration Deadline Will Not Be Extended Post Hurricane
A judge today denied a request to extend Georgia’s voter registration deadline after Hurricane Helene disrupted voter registration efforts a week before the deadline.
Voting rights organizations filed a lawsuit on Monday asking the court to order Governor Brian Kemp (R) to extend the voter registration deadline after Hurricane Helene devastated the state on Sept. 27. The court held a two-day hearing this week.
The plaintiffs argued that power and internet outages, closed government buildings, and damaged roads prevented tens of thousands of Georgians from registering to vote before the Oct. 7 deadline. All three options for registering—online, in person at government offices and by mail—were disrupted by the hurricane.
The plaintiffs argued that by refusing to extend the deadline, Kemp is disenfranchising Georgians who otherwise would have been able to vote, in violation of the Constitution and the National Voter Registration Act.
Voter registration typically spikes the week before the deadline. According to the complaint, more than 57,000 people registered to vote in Georgia during the last week of registration in 2020, compared to around 36,500 the week before. The plaintiffs noted that they were forced to cancel voter registration events scheduled for the last week of registration because of Helene.