“Civil Rights Groups: Extend Voter Registration Deadline as State Recovers from Hurricane Helene”

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The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Georgia, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and the law firm Cooley LLP filed a lawsuit seeking a court order to extend the voter registration deadline, as Georgians deal with the impact of hurricane Helene. The lawsuit is filed on behalf of the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP, the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, and New Georgia Project. 

Plaintiffs seek an emergency temporary restraining order from the Northern District of Georgia to prevent the disenfranchisement of Georgians impacted by the effects of Hurricane Helene. The filing seeks a new registration deadline of October 14, a week past the Monday deadline, so that residents across the state who were not able to register to vote because of widespread flooding, damaged roadways, power and internet outages, as well as suspended postal service and the closure of county boards of election offices are able to make their voices heard in November. Without action from the court, innumerable citizens across the state, including those in counties with disproportionately large populations of Black voters, will lose the right to vote in November.

“Hurricane Helene has caused enough harm already–tragic deaths, massive power outages, devastating flooding, and widespread damage. A natural disaster of this magnitude should not be compounded by a man-made disaster for democracy,” said Damon Hewitt, President and Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “The storm shut down post offices and election offices, complicating the voter registration process. So, people simply need more time to ensure their voices are heard on Election Day. That’s only fair. This situation calls for a bit of compassion and a healthy dose of common sense, to make sure those who qualify to vote are able to register. Access to the ballot should not be reserved only for those who were not affected by a disastrous hurricane.”

Read the lawsuit here.

Read the request for a temporary restraining order here.

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