Human Rights Campaign Calls on Governor Scott to Extend Voter Registration Deadline

by HRC Staff

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin called on Florida Governor Rick Scott to extend the state's voter registration deadline to give all Floridians impacted by Hurricane Matthew the opportunity to vote in the 2016 elections. Last week, Governor Rick Scott rejected a requests to extend Florida’s voter-registration deadline, and yesterday a lawsuit was filed seeking an extension. Florida is home to 20 million voters, including at least 550,000 LGBTQ adults, and tens of thousands have been displaced over the last week due to the storm.

“Tens of millions of Americans throughout the Southeast have been impacted by this horrific storm and our first priority should be their safety and well-being,” said Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin. “But we are also concerned that tens of thousands of Floridians may be denied the right to vote because of the storm. Florida is home to at least 550,000 LGBTQ adults and come November they deserve to have their voices heard at the ballot box. Governor Scott should work to ensure that the state of Florida accommodates the countless voters unable to register through no fault of their own.”

Florida’s voter registration deadline is tomorrow, Tuesday, October 11th. An analysis of voter registration numbers in Florida done by TargetSmart, a progressive data and analytics firm, found that in 2012, 63,152 voters registered in the last eight days before the deadline. On the last day to register, nearly 30,000 Floridians registered. On Election Day, President Obama carried Florida by only 74,309 votes.

The Human Rights Campaign encourages donations to the American Red Cross to support Hurricane Matthew recovery efforts. To donate, visit: https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer equality. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

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