Florida Dems call on state officials to extend voter registration deadline ahead of hurricane – By Morgan Gstalter (thehill.com) / Oct 8 2018
Florida Democrats are calling for state officials to extend the voter registration deadline as Hurricane Michael approaches.
Florida Democratic Party Chairman Terrie Rizzo sent a formal letter to Gov. Rick Scott (R) and Secretary of State Ken Detzner on Monday requesting that they push back the deadline as Floridians prepare for the storm.
Tuesday is the state’s deadline for eligible individuals to vote ahead of November’s elections, but the impending hurricane will “adversely impact the ability of these eligible, but unregistered individuals who may have waited until the last day in order to register to vote,” Rizzo wrote.
Scott has already declared a state of emergency in 35 counties and residents have already begun evacuating along the Gulf Coast.
“These individuals may forego registering, in view of your warnings regarding the danger of the storm as well as County evacuations, the need to prepare, and both announced and anticipated evacuation orders,” Rizzo wrote.
Many local government offices are also considering closing on Tuesday in anticipation of Hurricane Michael’s landfall.
The National Hurricane Center has predicted that Michael will make landfall between the Florida Panhandle and the Big Bend of Florida as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday.
It could bring life-threatening storm surge and damaging winds to the state.
