Florida laws erect barriers to voter participation
by Charlie Crist, Tampa Bay Times -- April 10, 2012
Much is being said about Florida's controversial new voter registration laws, which make it more difficult for people to register and reduce the availability of early-voting opportunities. These new measures appear to be a step backward in protecting the right to vote for citizens of the Sunshine State.
Under the new laws, third-party groups who fail to file new registration forms with the supervisor of elections within 48 hours of collection face stiff fines. As a result, groups such as the League of Women Voters and Rock the Vote have decided to suspend their registration drives in Florida for fear that compliance with the new laws is too difficult. These groups have a long history in Florida of getting the people involved in participating in the electoral process through registration drives.
[...]
Florida's lawmakers cite voter fraud concerns as the reason for the new restriction on third-party voter registration drives. While I have seen no evidence of rampant voter fraud, it is no doubt a serious matter and can serve to reduce confidence in the electoral process. Those who commit such a crime should be prosecuted and punished. However, imposing stiff penalties on those who are trying to promote participation in the electoral process in good faith will most assuredly reduce confidence in the electoral process. [...]
-- Charlie Crist served as governor of Florida from 2007-2011.
Voter ID Laws: Obama Could Be Hurt By New Registration Curbs
by Deborah Charles, Reuters, huffingtonpost -- April 21, 2012
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PROBLEMS WITH REGISTRATIONS
Rock the Vote, which registered a record 2.25 million young voters in 2008, has set a considerably lower target this year: 1.5 million. The group says the drop is because of the new laws as well as the fact that unlike 2008, this election year has had a competitive primary contest only among Republicans.
The League of Women Voters also could sign up fewer voters this year, partly because it has joined Rock the Vote in suspending voter registration drives in Florida as the groups challenge that state's new restrictions in court.
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FLORIDA'S LAW DRAWS FIRE
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Last May, Florida Governor Rick Scott, a Republican, signed a law that imposes tough new restrictions on third-party groups if they do not turn in voter registration forms quickly.
State legislators in Florida - the state at the center of the disputed 2000 presidential election won by Republican George W. Bush - said the law was aimed at preventing fraud and adding credibility to elections.
But the groups that try to register voters say the law - which requires the groups to register with the state and turn in voter forms within 48 hours of obtaining them or face at least $5,000 in fines - are onerous and discriminatory.
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ACLU of Florida, League of Women Voters, others sue over new voter registration rules
by Ashley Lopez, FloridaIndependent -- Dec 15, 2011
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The new law is regarded by many voter registration groups as an attempt to regulate voter registration drives out of existence by burying such efforts in red tape and threatening volunteer-based organizations with massive fines. The Brennan Center and the League of Women Voters also filed lawsuits against Florida’s two prior laws restricting community-based voter registration. “This law represents Florida legislators’ third attempt in six years to drown voter registration groups in regulation,” said Lee Rowland, counsel for the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program. “It is unfortunate that we have had to represent Florida’s leading voter registration groups, not once, or twice, but three times in fighting back against the Florida legislature’s repeated attempts to stifle access to voter registration opportunities.”
According to today’s court filing, the League of Women Voters of Florida, Rock the Vote, and Florida PIRG argue that Florida’s restrictions violate the U.S. Constitution or federal law in three main ways:
(1) they violate Plaintiffs’ constitutionally protected rights of speech and association;
(2) they fail to give individuals and groups fair notice of how to comply with its confusing and unclear mandates; and
(3) they violate the National Voter Registration Act – a federal law designed in part to encourage community-based voter registration activity.
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Fresh evidence that Florida's new elections law suppresses voting
Bradenton Herald, Editorial -- April 4, 2012
Powerful evidence now exists that Florida's new elections law is suppressing voter registration as feared. A new study that tabulates registration since the law went into effect last July found 81,471 fewer Florida residents on the rolls compared with the same time frame leading up to the 2008 election.
The New York Times analyzed registration data and uncovered that startling figure. Although the study could not specifically determine the reasons behind the steep drop-off, last week's report indicates a major decline in places where there should have been more registrations, places with growing voting-age populations. In Miami-Dade, for example, voter registration plunged by 39 percent.
The link between the law and the suspension of registration drives is clearly showing up in these findings.
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We used to be a Country
that wanted People to Vote ...
Isn't that WHY our young people go off to fight wars in foreign lands,
to protect "our way of life" ... to protect our democracy?
"one person, one vote" -- used to be a given in America, land of "the free"
-- So why in so many places is this cherish right being so easily taken away?
canivote.org