Judge orders voter registration extension

A federal judge agreed Wednesday to extend voting registration in Florida until Tuesday, October 18th because of the impact of Hurricane Matthew.

Judge Mark E. Walker, of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, initially granted a preliminary injunction that temporarily moved the deadline to today so he could hold a hearing on the matter.

Attorney Marc Elias argued in court filings that Florida voters faced a "...daunting, and indeed, life threatening obstacle" to register to vote because of Hurricane Matthew. He said "a massive and dangerous weather event that has threatened Florida with substantial damage and loss of life."

Last week, Governor Rick Scott opposed the extension, saying last week that "people have had time to register."

"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."

"It has been suggested that the issue of extending the voter registration deadline is about politics. Poppycock," Judge Mark Walker wrote in his preliminary order. "This case is about the right of aspiring eligible voters to register and to have their votes counted. Nothing could be more fundamental to our democracy."

"Hurricane Matthew not only forced many of those voters to evacuate the state, but also foreclosed the only methods of registering to vote: in person or by mail," Walker wrote. "Because those aspiring eligible voters could not register, they could not vote in the upcoming election. As a result, Florida's statutory framework completely disenfranchises thousands of voters, and amounts to a severe burden on the right to vote."

Use this link to check your Voter Registration Status.

Make sure your address is correct. If you moved since the last election you should update your address with the Supervisor of Elections.

Registration forms are available at Apopka City Hall and any Orange County Library location. You can use this link to download the Voter Registration Form.

The Supervisor of Elections office encourages voters to drop the signed forms in person. If you choose to mail the form it must be Postmarked no later than Tuesday, October 11, 2016. The mailing address is:

Supervisor of Elections

PO Box 562001

Orlando FL 32856-2001