As many head back to work and the routine of their daily lives following Hurricane Sandy, some are asking about the impact of this deadly storm on next week’s elections.  We have pulled together a quick primer on what steps elections officials in some of the affected states are taking to help voters.  Overall, we are pleased that many states are extending deadlines in an effort to mitigate the effect of the hurricane and its aftermath on the upcoming election.

The News Hour, the New York Times and the Washington Post have all covered the Pennsylvania lawsuit challenging voter photo ID. Like the successful Wisconsin court challenge, the case in Pennsylvania involves the League of Women Voters and focuses on the state constitution.

This week brought good news for Georgia voters. A U.S. District Judge cleared the way for a lawsuit by voting rights groups to go forward. The suit asks the court to mandate that the State of Georgia fully comply with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) particularly with respect to providing voter registration forms at public assistance agencies both in person and online. Demos and other groups hailed this court order.