Voting Rights Groups Call for Extension of Florida Voter Registration Deadline

Today is the deadline to register to vote in Florida. But many communities across the state are still struggling to recover from Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton is projected to make landfall Wednesday on the central Gulf Coast.

October 7, 2024 1:30 pm

ACLU Florida

Media Contact

Larry Hannan/State Voices Florida, lhannan@statevoicesfl.org /(239) 253-8952; Michael Krumholtz/ All Voting is Local, Michael@allvotingislocal.org / (202) 640-1350

Tallahassee, FL – Today is the deadline to register to vote in Florida. But many communities across the state are still struggling to recover from Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton is projected to make landfall Wednesday on the central Gulf Coast. Due to these unique circumstances, a broad coalition of voting rights organizations are calling for the State to indefinitely extend the deadline to register to vote in all Florida counties until Milton has passed and everything has stabilized.

It is unreasonable to expect people to focus on registering to vote with multiple storms wreaking havoc in Florida. Floridians who are still recovering from Hurricane Helene are today preparing for Milton; they can not and should not be expected to have to meet a voter registration deadline today. It is unfair to disenfranchise newly arrived Floridians, people who have just reached the legal age to vote, and others who need to register to vote in Florida due to the impacts of natural disasters that are beyond their control. We therefore urge Governor Ron DeSantis, Secretary of State Cord Byrd, and others to pause the deadline.

We previously sent the attached letter to the Governor and state officials expressing our concerns about Hurricane Helene's impact on Floridians' ability to participate in the 2024 General Election. While Executive Order 24-212 addressed some of these issues, it fell short of offering all of the necessary solutions. With Milton now threatening a second devastating blow, our concerns are amplified. Two hurricanes in three weeks, with densely populated areas like Pinellas and Hillsborough counties projected to sustain a second serious hit, requires unique and urgent action.

We strongly encourage the Governor, Secretary of State, and other election officials to take these concerns seriously and prioritize the voting rights of all Floridians during this critical time.

The undersigned organizations support this request:

  • State Voices Florida
  • All Voting is Local
  • Black Voters Matter
  • Central Florida Jobs with Justice
  • Common Cause Florida
  • Disability Rights Florida
  • Dream Defenders Education Fund
  • Florida Rising Together
  • Fair Elections Center
  • Florida National Organization for Women
  • Voices of Florida Fund
  • Faith in Florida
  • Florida Coalition
  • Florida For All Education Fund
  • Florida State Conference NAACP
  • Florida Student Power Network
  • Florida VoteRiders
  • Future Coalition
  • Equal Ground Education Fund
  • Harriet Tubman Freedom Fighters
  • LatinoJustice PRLDEF
  • League of Women Voters of Florida
  • The Northside Coalition of Jacksonville
  • Southern Poverty Law Center
  • Community Justice Project, Inc.
  • 1199 SEIU Florida
  • Palm Beach County Voting Rights Coalition
  • ACLU of Florida
  • Hot 407 Foundation
  • Progress Florida
  • Mi Familia En Accion
  • Legal Defense Fund
  • Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
  • Asian American Pacific Islanders Coming Together
  • National Council of Jewish Women
  • Advancement Project