Due to the recent damage and destruction caused in Florida by Hurricane Mathew, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker extended voter registration to October 18th, overriding the governor’s decision.
The Democratic Party filed a lawsuit causing the registration to be extended one day, but after review of the damage, the judge extended it six days further. The lawsuit was filed after Democrats requested the registration to be extended from Republican Gov. Rick Scott but he denied them because he felt people had enough time to register already.
An attorney for the Florida Democratic Party, Mark Elias made a sound argument in court papers saying that the Florida voters faced:
“Daunting, and indeed, life-threatening obstacle due to a massive and dangerous weather event that has threatened Florida with substantial damage and loss of life.”
Pamela Goodman, the President of the League of Women Voters of Florida, celebrated the decision by stating:
“We’ll now be able to make up for lost time and help register people whose lives were disrupted by the storm. Our goal is to help every Floridian register, vote, and be heard, and we’re grateful that the storm did not silence their voices.”
Myrna Perez, the Deputy Director of the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program, spoke about the importance of citizen’s democratic rights, by saying:
“Federal law requires the state to provide voters with enough time to register before the election. With this extension, more citizens will be able to exercise their most fundamental right in our democracy.”
Scott’s office did not appear as the defense in the case and representatives from the Governor’s office stated that they would accept the court’s decision on the case.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eOf2T2JW1Q
Featured Image Via Tampa Patch
