Kossacks have been posting about their early voting experience in Florida, with many seeing the long lines of enthusiastic, upbeat Obama supporters as a sign of an awakened electorate determined to make change and the vindication of the belief that Florida will go Blue.
I see it as the ultimate in institutionalized voter suppression.
It seems I am NOT the only one.
Action is needed NOW, not just complaining. And a Florida representative of Broward County is apparently leading the attack.
More below the fold.
Voters are being forced to stand for HOURS to cast their vote during Florida's early voting period this past week. People waiting hours on lines is NOT good, despite the enthusiasm fact. Nor are long lines a sign of a well functioning democracy.
In a comment I posted earlier today, I noted that that these lines are partly the result of a state legislature voting in a law in 2005 that:
1. reduced the number of early voting hours allowed daily M-F from 12 to 8 hours.
2. Reduced the number of hours open on weekends to a total of 8 hours over the 2 days.
3. reduced the number/type of locations for early voting.
This has resulted in several disturbing things.
Early voting hours after work are limited because of the 8 hour daily maximum.
Long lines will ultimately discourage voters and reduce the number total voters (either purposefully to suppress votes or out of misguided attempted to save money) and will result in FEWER people voters especially Obama voters who are less able to afford waiting hours on line.
Frankly, I think those hypocrites claimed fiscal economy while silently and gleefully knowing they would benefit from voter suppression and possibly another stolen election.
How can Florida elected officials in all honesty justify REDUCING the number of hours for early voting in a Presidential Election Year where voter turnout is expected to be the highest in years?
I asked earlier:
Are there any lawsuits planned to challenge the hours as voter suppression and discrimination against poor working people?
Well, I got my answer surfing the web a little while ago.
A Democratic representative is standing up FOR voters!
U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Miami, who represents part of South Broward, just issued an "urgent" statement criticizing long lines confronting voters on the first day of early voting.
He said he was considering filing lawsuit to have additional voting machines placed at early voting locations...
To meet this groundswell, additional voting machines must be placed at early voting locations through South Florida. No voter should feel discouraged about exercising their right to vote," he said.
Broward Congressperson considers lawsuit
ACTION ALERT!!!
Kossacks, WE NEED to act on this. Yes,I hope the OBAMA campaign is already on this and is supporting Rep. Meek's. But, this needs to be addressed IMMEDIATELY. Other states have expanded the number of machines and sites to facilitate the increase in early voter turnout, so obviously there is precedence for this.
- WRITE and CALL - If your live in Florida
2. CONTACT your REP: Contact your representative and Rep. Meeks and let them know how you stand.
- CONTACT the local media, including the SUN-SENTINEL, (where reader comments show ignorance and hatred toward Obama and Obama supporters.)
I wonder why they are promoting early voting? Is there something that will comeout about Obama that may hurt his votes if people wait until Nov 4th?...A three hour wait is nothing. Iraqis waited 8-10 hours to vote with the threat of being shot at. The Democrats have become the party of whiners...Why would this be a problem? Seems like having to stand in line for several hours would benefit the non-working people who will benefit from Obama's tax hand out. Working people don't have time to take off work for several hours...People waiting in line for three hours to vote early? There's a real plot to deny franchise if ever there was. You'd think at least a few would have discovered the concept of "coming back at another time," since there are two weeks remaining in this interminable election cycle.
4. STATE your support for SOLUTIONS: Support not just Meeks's proposal of additional machines, but asked for expanded hours and sites to at least 2004 levels!
- DESCRIBE your early voting experience, how it affected your work and day, and might have discourage people you know
6. EXPRESS your concern about how the problems will only increase as we get closer to Election Day and that poorer and working people are being discriminated against.
Get back to us with your action.
Good luck.
UPDATE 1
Here are some articles about Florida that discuss the situation:
Florida's GOP lawmakers Blamed for Early Voting Lines
Saying early voting cost too much money with rules that weren't uniform, Republican legislators led a charge three years ago to set new statewide standards limiting the number of polling sites and their hours of operation.
Those revamped rules trimmed early voting from 12 hours per workday to eight.
Some election officials have tried to sound the alarm since the change in law:
Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Lester Sola said that for the past three years he has futilely sent legislative packages to Tallahassee seeking more control over the local early process. He is now required to provide a list of polling sites to the state 30 days before Election Day, but says counties need the flexibility to hold early voting outside traditional government buildings.
Sola said plenty of machines are in storage that will be used on Election Day when the county opens 765 precincts -- but he is limited in their use now because the size of the sites available.
Brian Ross at Huffingtonpost.com
Voting early would be highly advisable. If they can only process a couple of hundred people an hour at a mega-polling place, I am not sure what will happen ... One thing is certain: Florida's reputation for voting woes has not been lived down in 2008, and many, many people may be disenfranchised by this bizarre and cumbersome system that seems, by reputation and word-of-mouth, to be designed to discourage turnout.
FL Early Voting Process Rife for Another Challenge