South Carolina Democrats want people to have more time to register to vote for this year’s election because of the effects of Hurricane Helene.
The state Democratic Party filed a lawsuit late Thursday asking to the extend the voter registration deadline to Oct. 14.
Friday, Oct. 4, is the deadline to register to vote in person. Sunday is the online voter registration deadline. Mailed applications must be postmarked by Monday.
The storm hit the Upstate — one of South Carolina’s most conservative regions — the hardest. The storm has caused 41 deaths and about 388,000 customers were still without electricity as of Thursday.
“Our goal is simple: to ensure that every citizen in South Carolina has the opportunity to register and exercise their right to vote, regardless of their politics, in the face of challenges caused by Hurricane Helene,” said South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain. ”Protecting the right to vote is a fundamental part of our democracy.”
The South Carolina Election Commission does not have the authority to extend the voter registration deadline on its own.
In 2018, the election commission extended the voter registration deadline by 10 days because of Hurricane Florence after receiving a court order stemming from a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Alan Wilson.
A virtual hearing on the Democratic Party’s lawsuit is scheduled for Friday morning.
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