Fla. judge extends voter registration by a week due to hurricane

A federal judge is extending voter registration in Florida for an additional week to compensate for disruptions caused by Hurricane Matthew, according to CNN.

{mosads}U.S. District Judge Mark Walker earlier this week had already extended the deadline by one day, to 5 p.m. Wednesday.

But on Wednesday morning, Walker agreed with Florida Democrats’ calls to extend it further. The new deadline is Oct. 18, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

“No right is more precious than having a voice in our elections,” Walker said.

Last week, Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) opposed extending the deadline at all, saying people had plenty of time to register. The state’s Democratic Party sued the governor following his refusal.

“These voters have already had their lives (and, quite possibly, their homes) turned upside down by Hurricane Matthew,” Walker said in Monday’s court order. “They deserve a break, especially one that is mandated by the United States Constitution. “ 

Following the second deadline extension, the Democrats’ lawyer, Kevin Hamilton, said it was “unfortunate” that a lawsuit was necessary to extend voter registration in the wake of a hurricane, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

The Florida chapter of the League of Women Voters praised the judge’s decision on Wednesday.

“We’ll now be able to make up for lost time and help register people whose lives were disrupted by the storm,” said Pamela Goodman, president of the League of Women Voters of Florida. “Our goal is to help every Floridian register, vote, and be heard, and we’re grateful that the storm did not silence their voices.”

Updated at 11:59 a.m.