Emergency responders ordered to evacuate ahead of storm
Story highlights
Judge: Five counties along Georgia's coast won't have voter registration deadlines extended
"Protecting the right to vote is not a political stunt, nor a partisan effort," ACLU says.
CNN
—
In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, some Georgia residents living along the coast were unable to register to vote before the deadline. However, a federal judge won’t order officials to extend the deadline given that it could throw a “sizable wrench” in the state’s efforts to get ready for the upcoming presidential election.
The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed this week, which claimed that disruptions caused by the storm made it difficult, and, in some cases, impossible, for people to sign up by the October 11 deadline. Other states affected by Matthew – Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina – have extended deadlines in counties hit by the hurricane.
The lawsuit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, accused Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal and Secretary of State Brian Kemp of infringing upon residents’ right to vote by refusing to extend the deadline. The storm interfered with voter registration drives, leaving African-Americans disproportionately affected by the state’s refusal to extend the deadline, the lawsuit claimed.
“Gov. Deal’s refusal to do the right thing by simply extending the deadline means thousands of Georgians will be disenfranchised in November,” said Kathleen Burch, interim counsel for the ACLU of Georgia. “Protecting the right to vote is not a political stunt, nor a partisan effort. Our state’s elected leaders should be protecting that right, not undermining it. This is a travesty to the people of Georgia and to the democratic process. We are exploring possible legal next steps.”
Returning to register
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Rainier Ehrhardt/AP
People wade through floodwaters with a boat in Nichols, South Carolina, on Monday, October 10. Hurricane Matthew caused flooding and damage in the Southeast -- from Florida to North Carolina -- after slamming Haiti and other countries in the Caribbean.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Joe Burbank/AP
Workers repair downed power lines in Daytona Beach, Florida, on October 10.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Sean Rayford/Getty Images
Rescue teams maneuver through floodwaters in Lumberton, North Carolina, on October 10. President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in North Carolina and ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Sean Rayford/Getty Images
Floodwaters inundate a home in Lumberton on October 10.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Rainier Ehrhardt/AP
Floodwaters surround a house in Nichols, South Carolina, on October 10.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Rainier Ehrhardt/AP
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley checks flooding near Nichols on October 10.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Rainier Ehrhardt/AP
Floodwaters surround power lines near Nichols on October 10.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
David Goldman/AP
Without power in the hurricane's aftermath, Missy Zinc shines a light so her husband, Shawn, can prepare steaks to grill in Hilton Head, South Carolina, on Sunday, October 9.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Chuck Liddy/AP
Anthony Writebol, left, and his cousin Melissa Hill paddle past a stranded tractor-trailer in Lumberton on October 9.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Andrew Craft/The Fayetteville Observer/AP
A man clings to a road sign after trying to swim out to help a stranded truck driver in Hope Mills, North Carolina, on October 9. Both were rescued.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Chris Seward/AP
People stop and take pictures of Highway 58, which was flooded in Nashville, North Carolina, on October 9.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
David Goldman/AP
Boats are pushed up among twisted docks in Hilton Head on October 9.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Chris Seward/AP
Rescue workers help several dogs that were trapped in homes in Pinetops, North Carolina, on October 9.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Travis Long/AP
A section of Wayne Memorial Drive was washed out in Goldsboro, North Carolina.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Brian Blanco/Getty Images
John Tweedy wades into the swift-moving floodwaters surrounding his business in McClellanville, South Carolina, on Saturday, October 8.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Stephen B. Morton/AP
A woman who gave her name only as Valerie walks along flooded President Street after leaving her homeless camp in Savannah, Georgia, on October 8.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Charlie Riedel/AP
Volunteers clear debris from from a pool at a condominium complex in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, on October 8.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
David Goldman/AP
A police officer steps through the remnants of a home leveled by Hurricane Matthew in the tiny beach community of Edisto Beach, South Carolina, on October 8.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
David Goldman/AP
A downed tree and power lines block a road on Georgia's St. Simons Island on October 8.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Gerry Broome/AP
A woman fights the wind in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, on October 8.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Eric Gay/AP
Parts of Highway A1A in Flagler Beach, Florida, were washed away by Hurricane Matthew on Friday, October 7.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
John Bazemore/AP
Water flows over a seawall and fills the streets of St. Augustine, Florida, on October 7.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Brian Blanco/Getty Images
Barbara Hearst tapes her storm shutters as Hurricane Matthew nears Charleston, South Carolina, on October 7.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Mic Smith/AP
Adam and Alec Selent watch waves crash over a retainer wall at the Ocean Club condominiums in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on October 7.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
James McEntee/ Verbatim/CNN
A damaged boat sits partially submerged on the intercoastal waterway in Melbourne, Florida, on October 7.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images
A police officer helps persuade a woman to board a bus and evacuate Savannah, Georgia, on October 7.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Stephen B. Morton/AP
Preston Payne tries to hold his umbrella on Georgia's Tybee Island on October 7.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Mark Wilson/Getty Images
Heavy waves pound boat docks in Cocoa Beach, Florida, on October 7.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Mark Wilson/Getty Images
A women helps a dog walk through floodwaters in Port Orange, Florida, on October 7.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
James McEntee/ Verbatim for CNN
Damage in Cocoa Beach.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
John Bazemore/AP
Waves crash against a bridge in St. Augustine, Florida.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Charlie Riedel/AP
A car drives past a downed tree as the hurricane moves through Daytona Beach, Florida, on October 7.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Wilfredo Lee/AP
A billboard canvas flaps in the wind after Hurricane Matthew passed North Palm Beach, Florida, on October 7.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
CRISTOBAL HERRERA/EPA
A woman inspects her damaged car under a tree in Fort Pierce, Florida, on October 7.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Mark Wilson/Getty Images
A space shuttle model stands near some downed trees after Hurricane Matthew passed by Cocoa Beach.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Chris O'Meara/AP
A woman uses her phone under a battery-operated lantern at a hotel in Titusville, Florida, on October 7.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Mark Wilson/Getty Images
Palm trees on Cocoa Beach sway in the wind on October 7.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Malcolm Denemark/Florida Today via USA TODAY NETWORK/SIPA
Firefighters respond to a pre-dawn house fire in Satellite Beach, Florida, that was possibly caused by a downed power line on October 7.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Craig Rubadoux/Florida Today via AP
Heavy rain billows in front of Exploration Tower in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on October 7.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
James McEntee/Verbatim for CNN
People stand on a beach in Broward County, Florida, as the storm approached the coast on Thursday, October 6.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
A police officer walks along the beach in Singer Island, Florida, on October 6.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Kevin Forde and John Haughey put plywood on a Miami Beach window on October 6.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Tim Aylen/AP
Hurricane Matthew moves through Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas, on October 6. Capt. Stephen Russell, the head of the Bahamas National Emergency Management Authority, said there were many downed trees and power lines but no reports of casualties.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
GREGG NEWTON/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
People leave Disney's Magic Kingdom theme park, in heavy rain, after it closed in Orlando, Florida in preparation for the landfall of Hurricane Matthew, on October 6.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Tim Aylen/AP
A man rakes up debris from a storm drain as he begins cleanup near a damaged gas station in Nassau on October 6.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Dieu Nalio Chery/AP
Residents repair their homes in Les Cayes, Haiti, on October 6. The damage from Hurricane Matthew was especially brutal in southern Haiti, where sustained winds of 130 mph punished the country.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Dieu Nalio Chery/AP
Girls hold hands as they help each other wade through a flooded street in Les Cayes on October 6.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Dieu Nalio Chery/AP
Two days after the storm, authorities and aid workers in Haiti still lacked a clear picture of what they fear is the country's biggest disaster in years.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
BRUCE WEAVER/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
A supermarket shelf is nearly cleared out in Titusville, Florida, on Wednesday, October 5.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Robert Ray for CNN
Bumper-to-bumper traffic lines Interstate 26 in Columbia, South Carolina, as people drive west on October 5.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Malcolm Denemark/AP
Workers start removing umbrellas and the colorful rocking chairs that line the Cocoa Beach Pier in Cocoa Beach, Florida, on October 5.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Orlando Barria/EFE/EPA
People carry a coffin and try to cross the La Digue river on October 5 after a bridge collapsed in Petit-Goave, Haiti.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty Images
People cross the La Digue river on October 5.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
YAMIL LAGE/AFP/Getty Images
Evacuees return to their homes in the Carbonera community of Guantanamo, Cuba, on October 5.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Ramon Espinosa/AP
People embrace at their damaged home in Baracoa, Cuba. The hurricane rolled across the sparsely populated tip of Cuba, destroying dozens of homes in the country's easternmost city and leaving hundreds of others damaged.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Ramon Espinosa/AP
A woman cries amid the rubble of her home in Baracoa.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Mic Smith/AP
Bus drivers in North Charleston, South Carolina, wait for word to start evacuations.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Ramon Espinosa/AP
The high winds of Hurricane Matthew roar over Baracoa on Tuesday, October 4.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Mic Smith/AP
Beth Johnson fills up her car at a gas station in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, on October 4.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
ERIKA SANTELICES/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
The mother of two girls who died in the storm is comforted near her home in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on October 4. The girls were killed when a landslide caused by flooding breached the walls of their house.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Ezekiel Abiu Lopez/AP
A worker clears a sewer on a flooded street in Santo Domingo.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Amy Beth Bennett/AP
Anita Baranyi feeds her baby while keeping an eye on the generator she intends to purchase from a home-improvement store in Oakland Park, Florida, on October 4.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty Images
People wade through the flooded streets of Cite Soleil in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince on October 4. Hurricane Matthew is the strongest storm to hit Haiti since 1964 and the first hurricane to make landfall in the country since the devastating earthquake in 2010.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty Images
People observe the flooding of a river near Port-au-Prince on October 4.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
ERIKA SANTELICES/AFP/Getty Images
Children swim in a flooded neighborhood of Santo Domingo on October 4.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty Images
A truck used as public transportation drives through flooded streets in Port-au-Prince on October 4.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Dieu Nalio Chery/AP
Hurricane winds blow against palm trees in Port-au-Prince.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Dieu Nalio Chery/AP
A food vendor lays out goods for sale during a light rain in Port-au-Prince on October 4.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Dieu Nalio Chery/AP
Haitian civil protection workers arrive to evacuate the Tabarre region of Haiti on October 3.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Dieu Nalio Chery/AP
Officials urge residents to evacuate their homes in the Grise River area of Tabarre on October 3.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/Getty Images
Clouds loom over the hills of the Petionville suburb of Port-au-Prince on October 3.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Ramon Espinosa/AP
Families seek shelter from Hurricane Matthew at a university facility in Guantanamo, Cuba.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Eduardo Verdugo/AP
People near Kingston, Jamaica, take a photo in front of the rough surf produced by Hurricane Matthew on October 3.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
A backhoe removes garbage to clear a canal in Port-au-Prince on October 3.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Dieu Nalio Chery/AP
Nice Simon, the mayor of Tabarre, Haiti, holds a baby as she helps evacuate the area along a river.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
People stock up on food at a supermarket in Port-au-Prince on Sunday, October 2.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Ramon Espinosa/AP
A worker dismantles a traffic light in Santiago before Hurricane Matthew struck Cuba.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Collin Reid/AP
Motorists drive through heavy rains in Kingston, Jamaica, on October 2.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
STR/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Residents of Cuba's Holguin Province line up to buy gas on October 2.
Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction
Collin Reid/AP
A worker nails a board to a storefront window in Kingston on Saturday, October 1.
Georgia has six coastal counties that are home to more than half a million people. Deal ordered those residents to evacuate on October 6 – five days before the deadline to sign up to vote in the November election. According to the ACLU lawsuit, the week ahead of the deadline has typically been one of the busiest periods for voter registration.
The ACLU lawsuit came on the heels of similar lawsuit filed last week by the Lawyers’ Committee of Civil Rights Under Law. In response to that suit, Moore Jr. ordered Deal and Kemp to extend the deadline for Chatham County – one of the six counties along Georgia’s coast. The county’s board of elections, which closed ahead of the storm, did not reopen until after the day after the voter registration deadline.
Days after Moore’s Chatham County ruling, the ACLU’s lawsuit claimed Deal and Kemp had illegally refused to extend the deadline for five remaining coastal counties – Bryan, Camden, Glynn, Liberty and McIntosh – despite repeated requests from voting rights groups to do so.
After Matthew passed, many people started to return home to the coast, but could only register at local board of elections offices within a day of the deadline.
According to the ACLU lawsuit, plaintiffs J’Mari Bethea and Joshua Lattimore, both residents of Glynn County, returned home on October 11 to homes without power. As a result, they could not access the secretary of state’s website to register online, the lawsuit said.
Burdened, but not blocked
Debris litters a road after it washed over from Hurricane Matthew on St. Simons Island, Ga.
David Goldman/AP
However, the burdens they faced were “slight” compared to “Georgia’s interest in conducting a smooth statewide election,” US District Court Judge William T. Moore Jr. said in his ruling Tuesday.
Moore added that it was unfortunate that a natural disaster coincided with Georgia’s “constitutionally valid” voter registration deadline. Ultimately, it was “difficult, but not impossible” for most residents to register, Moore wrote.
“However, these circumstances are not impediments created by the State of Georgia that require it to provide an extension to the voter registration deadline,” he said. “At some point, Georgia’s constitutionally valid voter registration deadline must be respected.”
Early voting in Georgia has gone on for three days. Moore said he gave considerable weight to the state’s claims that conducting voter registration at the same time as early-voting could pose significant “administrative and technological difficulties.”
“Georgia’s ability to conduct efficient and accurate elections at the local, state, and Georgia’s electoral system is simply not arranged to handle registration past the deadline and certainly ill equipped to handle it once early voting has commenced,” he wrote.
Preparing for the election
Candice Broce, Kemp’s press secretary, told CNN that “siding with the ACLU would have wasted valuable resources and caused unnecessary disruptions with voting already underway.”
“Now, we can focus on ensuring a secure, accessible, and fair election in our state,” Broce added.
CNN’s Keith Allen and Polo Sandoval contributed to this report.
