Hurricanes force changes to Florida's election procedures

With Florida still recovering from Hurricane Helene, some state and local officials are bracing for more disruptions from Hurricane Milton that could affect how people vote in the general election.

Gov. Ron DeSantis already has granted counties hardest hit by Helene greater flexibility in distributing mail-in ballots and changing polling sites for in-person voting. Further changes might be necessary after Hurricane Milton.

Florida has a long history of hurricanes — and of making election accommodations because of them.

This year, some voter advocacy groups are pushing for a judge to reopen Florida's voter registration period, arguing that people may have missed their chance to register because they were preoccupied by hurricanes.