Judge Sides with Republicans, Refuses to Reopen Georgia Voter Registration Disrupted by Hurricane

A federal judge has denied a request to reopen Georgia's voter registration through Oct. 14, following destruction and delays wrought by Hurricane Helene.

The Georgia NAACP, the Georgia Coalition for the People's Agenda, and the New Georgia Project filed a complaint and motion for a temporary restraining order to extend the voter registration deadline beyond Oct. 7 due to "prolonged power outages, election office closures, internet outages, and postal service disruptions" brought on by the Category 4 storm, according to the NAACP.

The groups were also forced to cancel voter registrations last week despite it being a crucial period for registering last-minute voters in the swing state, AP News reported.

The group's testimony stated they knew at least two people who were unable to register because of the hurricane, but US District Judge Eleanor Ross said on Thursday the groups didn't sufficiently prove their members were harmed and their testimony wasn't detailed enough.

"I don't think we had even one voter who had been harmed or would likely be harmed by failure to register to vote," Ross said.

The judge sided with the state and Republican Party, which argued a deadline extension would disrupt the election process since absentee ballots were mailed and in-person voting begins Tuesday.

"The harm to the state's interests outweighs the plaintiffs' interests," the judge stated.

Representatives from the NAACP and the Coalition for the People's Agenda contested the judge's ruling but did not commit to an appeal, according to AP News.

"We're still going to fight to make sure every voter's rights are protected," said Helen Butler, the coalition's executive director, per AP News. "We believe voters were harmed, but this doesn't deter us."