“The truth is that Florida elections are so tight that any group could have an impact,” said Dario Moreno, a political scientist at Florida International University. “The question for many of the displaced Puerto Ricans is whether they have organized themselves politically … registered and are ready to vote in November because they’re new residents, they’re trying to put together their lives and all those concerns.

“It’s very hard to tell at this point … what impact (they) will have,” he said.

Some groups aren’t taking the chance. Much is at stake in Florida, where there’s a hotly contested Senate race and a closely watched gubernatorial contest.

National Democrats and Republicans hired community organizers and hosted workshops to help evacuees assimilate in their new communities. Republicans created a Puerto Rican Initiative to court them.

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