Civil rights groups and Democrats are advocating for the expansion of voter registration in swing states that have been affected by hurricanes.

In the weeks leading up to the November election, after two hurricanes, civil rights groups and Democrats in several battleground states have filed lawsuits to prolong voter registration deadlines.

In Georgia, civil rights groups were denied requests for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction before the voter registration deadline on Monday.

The Georgia State Conference of the NAACP, the Georgia Coalition for the Peoples Agenda, and Stacey Abrams' New Georgia Project filed a complaint against Gov. Brian Kemp, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, the Republican National Committee, and the Georgia Republican Party on Oct. 7, alleging that not extending the deadline violates voters' rights.

Secretary Raffensberger's office issued a statement in response to the court's decision, stating that they concur with Judge Ross's assertion that "no voter was harmed or likely to be harmed by not registering to vote."

After the hurricane, the secretary held a press conference to announce measures taken by the state to ensure citizens could reach the polls.

In Florida, District Judge Robert L. Hinkle rejected a request for a temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction to delay the Oct. 7 deadline and prolong registration for an additional 10 days.

Multiple civil rights groups, including the League of Women Voters, League of Women Voters of Florida Education Fund, and the Florida chapter of the NAACP, filed a suit in the U.S. District Court for Northern Florida on Tuesday against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Secretary of State Cord Byrd. The suit alleged that the failure to extend the deadline for voter registration places an "undue burden on the right to vote in violation of the First Amendment" and the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause.

They alleged the registration deadline also favors Florida voters unaffected by the hurricanes.

In Florida, requests to extend the voter registration deadline are typically rejected, while in Georgia, Torchinsky believes that extending the deadline would have minimal impact due to the state's high registration rate.

Both DeSantis and Kemp were specifically targeted by Kaivan Shroff, a Democratic political commentator, and Greta Bedekovics, associate director of Democracy Policy at the left-wing Center for American Progress.

Republican governors Kemp and DeSantis appear to be engaging in partisan politics and impeding individuals' right to vote following the natural disasters, according to Shroff's statement to Planet Chronicle Digital.

"Nevertheless, I'm uncertain if that will occur this time because urban areas like Tampa have been leaning towards red in recent years."

Governors in states like Georgia and Florida have issued emergency policy orders in the past, expanding voting and registration options in the aftermath of a hurricane, including during the 2022 election cycle. This year, the same can be done, as there is no reason for it not to be done, according to Bedekovics, who spoke to Planet Chronicle Digital.

Mark Ard, the director of external affairs for the Florida Department of State, expressed his happiness over Judge Hinkle's decision, stating that Florida's voter registration system has been functioning continuously since the 2022 election, ensuring that voters have sufficient time to register to vote.

"The Department of State and election supervisors across the state have taken note of the Oct. 7, 2024, date and have published it. The state has a significant interest in maintaining the deadlines established by the legislature."

The co-president of the League of Women Voters of Florida, who is a plaintiff in the case, expressed disappointment in the ruling and stated that the lawsuits are not politically motivated.

Before any political campaigns began, we were filing these lawsuits.

"We have always been concerned about voters, regardless of their political affiliation. In fact, I often engage in voter registration efforts, and a significant portion of the individuals I assist, likely over 50%, register to vote for Trump. They openly declare this to me."

The Honest Elections Project's vice president, Chad Ennis, stated that several lawsuits were filed near the voter registration deadline, and the judges who did not extend the registration period made the correct decision given the time frame.

"Although the left always wants voter registration up until the day of the election, Ennis said that it is politically motivated. In many cases, during COVID, they used COVID as an excuse to change deadlines, and unfortunately, they also tried to use hurricanes to change the deadlines here."

According to Leslie Marshall, a Democratic strategist, the refusal to extend voter registration could harm Republicans in November.

Donald Trump and Republicans may be hurting their chances in the election by making gains with African American men, but losing support among women, according to Marshall.

Meanwhile, the South Carolina Democratic Party (SCDP) won their legal battle against the South Carolina Elections Commission, and a circuit court judge ordered the registration deadline to be extended to Oct. 14.

SCDP Chair Christale Spain stated that the voter registration deadline extension is a matter of public interest and protecting the right to vote for all, regardless of political affiliation.

The South Carolina Election Commission was able to comply with the order with minimal impact on election administration, and we do not anticipate any issues for voters during early voting or on Election Day, said John Michael Catalano, the commission's public information officer.

Near Siesta Key, Hurricane Milton hit the shore Wednesday night, leaving 3.2 million people in Florida without power by Thursday afternoon. Milton was a Category 3 storm, just weeks after Hurricane Helene hit Florida and later devastated North Carolina.