In Puerto Rico, officials have recently turned down a request to extend the voter registration deadline, which has sparked significant public frustration.
With the September 21 deadline rapidly approaching, many residents are facing long waits, sometimes stretching into the early hours, as they try to register in time for the November 5 presidential election.
The push for an extension came from the Puerto Rican Independence Party and the Citizen Victory Movement, two relatively new political groups.
They argued that extending the registration deadline by a month would help address the widespread issues with long lines and the registration system's inefficiencies.
However, their petition was met with resistance from the Popular Democratic Party (PDP) and the New Progressive Party (NPP), two of Puerto Rico's major political players.
Both parties voted against extending the deadline, citing concerns that it would delay critical election processes, including ballot printing and the handling of early voting requests.
John F. Rullán Schmidt, the executive director of Somos Más—a group dedicated to increasing civic participation—voiced his frustration over the situation.
Rullán warned that if the deadline is not extended, legal action might become a necessary step.
He emphasized the challenge faced by many residents who have had to endure hours-long waits to register, with some waiting until 3 a.m. earlier this week.
Despite the heightened urgency, the number of new voters in Puerto Rico is lower than in previous years.
The State Elections Commission has recorded only 62,400 new registrations, a sharp decrease from 2020.
Rullán attributes part of this drop to the reduction of permanent registration boards and severe understaffing at the commission.
Additionally, there is a backlog of tens of thousands of electronically registered voters waiting for approval.
The PDP's electoral commissioner, Karla Angleró, explained that extending the registration deadline would complicate other essential tasks, such as printing ballots and managing early voting requests.
On top of registration issues, Puerto Rico's power crisis continues to be a significant concern.
The privatized power company Luma has faced heavy criticism for frequent outages, a situation that has influenced the upcoming election.
Juan Dalmau of the Puerto Rican Independence Party and Jesús Manuel Ortiz of the PDP have both advocated for Luma's removal, while Jenniffer Colón of the NPP has proposed appointing an energy "czar" to oversee the company’s operations.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has also weighed in, criticizing the State Elections Commission for not adequately preparing for the anticipated voter surge.
The ACLU supports the petition for an extended registration deadline, citing ongoing power outages and staffing shortages as major issues affecting the registration process.
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