The ballot presented to voters in Florida is the longest in recent memory. It will make voting long and difficult, creating long lines in both early and election day voting. Voters will be discouraged. Many will stay home or walk away.
I don't think this is an accident. It is part of a nationwide voter suppression effort by Republican dominated states to overcome the will of the people by making it difficult or impossible for them to be heard. But whining won't help.The party that overcomes the long ballot hurdle will win Florida as the election for President is very close.
In addition to decisions over the Presidency and a seat in the US Senate now held by Democrat Bill Nelson, the ballot includes a host of statewide issues presented in a form that borders on the insane were voter suppression not the intent. Add local elections and a host of proposed constitutional amendments and local charter changes, the ballot in most counties presents a daunting task for get out the vote efforts.
How we got here is a story of its own. In the recent past, the Florida legislature developed a proclivity of submitting proposed constitutional amendments with wholly misleading titles so that voters would not know what they were being asked to approve. Again and again, the Florida Supreme Court rejected the misleading ballot language frustrating the right wing legislature's goals of change by deceit. This year the legislature came up with a new plan. Instead of titles with a few words that someone could demostrate were misleading, they decided that they would publish, on the ballot itself, each proposed amemdment verbatim. Thus, the first few words would contain the misleading presentation, but later in the detailed and confusing language a voter might be able to find what is really being proposed. A proposal to divert tax dollars to religious schools, is introduced as an amendment to support religious freedom. Only later in the language could a voter find out what is really being proposed. A series of proposed amendments would provide permanent tax breaks to various groups. One proposal would prevent the enforcement of Obamacare. Another would determine how to select a student to sit on the Board of Regents.
In some counties the ballot is printed in two or even three languages, all on the same page. It is a bear.
For Democrats to win, it must be through absentee ballots, early voting and stamina. Our voters must be encouraged to vote early, and if they don't to stay until the polls are closed.