WASHINGTON — After the worst natural disaster on record in Puerto Rico, over 135,000 of the island’s residents fled the devastation to U-S cities from coast to coast.

• Thousands of Puerto Ricans moved to mainland U.S. 
• Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, can vote once residency is established
• Groups are trying to get them registered for November

Over 56,000 of them have settled in the Sunshine State, specifically in the state’s most sought after swing districts -- and that could have real potential to tip the outcome of some races. 

“It always comes back to the I-4 corridor between Daytona, Orlando and Tampa," said Brent Woolfork with the Center for American Progress. "A lot of the displaced, according to various statistics, have settled in the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford area, that’s an important area to look at.”

Since Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, they can register to vote once establishing residency in any of the 50 states. 

“Most of the Puerto Ricans that have moved to the different states, they still have families on the island, friends on the island and with their vote they can change and reshape the policies that affect the island,” said Carlos Mercader with Puerto Rico Federal Affairs.

Puerto Rico government officials are encouraging those with this new political clout to use it.

The island’s governor, Ricardo Rossello, recently launched a new voting initiative in Florida, and while the he identifies as a Democrat, the effort is nonpartisan. 

“Our call is that all Puerto Ricans participate in the process and support those who have been friends of Puerto Rico,” Mercader said.

Estimating how many new voters there are in the state because of the hurricane is difficult to track, and it’s unclear how many will actually turn out at the polls in November.

The center-right Libre Initiative, and its partner the Libre Institute -- are working to make that transition a little easier throughout the state of Florida. The group does not register voters, but provides workshops and civic classes to new Puerto Rican arrivals -- many of which, they say, are here to stay. 

“The majority of people we encounter have made a permanent move to Florida," said Wadi Gaitan with The Libre Initiative. "They can also play a critical role because they are coming over as independents, they are not coming over affiliated to one party or the other.”