The Independent View: Clinton Campaign Calls for Extending Florida Voter Registration Because of Hurricane

Clinton’s Campaign is calling on officials in Florida to extend the State’s Voter Registration deadline because of Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 storm that is barreling toward the Atlantic coast and threatening to cause severe damage.

“We’re hoping and expecting that officials in Florida are adapting deadlines to account for the storm,” Clinton Campaign Manager Robby Mook said Thursday in call with reporters.

Voters in Florida currently have until Oct. 11 to register to vote, either in person or by mail.

Calling the threat of the advancing storm “catastrophic,” Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) urged some 1.5 million people to evacuate. As of Thursday morning, more than 3,000 people were being housed in 60 shelters across the State. President Barack Obama has also declared a State of Emergency there.

Mook said the Clinton Campaign is using its various social media channels to alert Florida residents about warnings from Local officials regarding the storm. The Campaign is also prioritizing the safety of its staff and volunteers, he added. “We’ll get back to our campaigning when it is appropriate,” he said.

The Campaign for GOP nominee Trump also released a statement Thursday, urging Florida residents to heed warnings from Local officials. “These warnings are very, very serious ― if your home is in the path of the hurricane and you are being advised to leave, you need to do so right now. Nothing is more important than the safety of your family,” Trump said in the statement.

Although Campaign staffers told reporters they were worried about the impact the hurricane might have on the election in its call with reporters, they were also optimistic about Early Voting in the State.

Mook said that a record number, 2.7 million, of Floridians have already requested to Vote by Mail, a 50% increase compared to the 2012 Election. Furthermore, Mook added that Democrats are “on most days” submitting more requests for Mail-In ballots than Republicans.

Even more importantly for Democrats, Vote-by-Mail-requests increased by 77% among Hispanics in Florida when compared to the 2012 Election.

UPDATE
Gov. Rick Scott says he will not extend the deadline for Voter registration despite concerns over the impact of Hurricane Matthew. The Republican Governor said he doesn't "intend to make changes," saying "people have had time to register."

Democrats are determining if they will sue to extend the deadline.

Another issue is lost mailed Absentee Ballots. I hope they provide the following solution: When the voter arrives to vote but was mailed a Absentee ballot, they are given a Provisional ballot. After all the Absentee ballots are counted, any voter not counted will get their Provisional ballot counted.