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Scott Won’t Extend Voter Registration Deadline

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott said Sunday that he was never told by Homeland Security officials in 2016 when he was Florida's governor that Russian hackers had gained access to voter databases in two Florida counties ahead of the presidential election.
MyFloridaHouse.gov
Florida Gov. Rick Scott before the Florida House.

Gov. Rick Scott rejected a call from Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign to extend the state's voter registration deadline as Florida officials turn their attention to the pending impact of Hurricane Matthew.

Speaking to reporters Thursday night at the state's Emergency Operations Center, Scott said he's not going to extend the deadline.

"Everybody has had a lot of time to register," Scott said. "On top of that, we've got lots of opportunities to vote. Early voting, absentee voting and Election Day. So I don't intend to make a lot of changes."

The last day to register for the Nov. 8 election is Tuesday. According to reports, Clinton's campaign manager, Robby Mook, told reporters in a conference call on Thursday that the state should extend registration. "We're hoping and expecting that officials in Florida are adapting deadlines to account for the storm," Mook said.

Voting in Florida already has begun through vote-by-mail ballots.

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