Florida has managed to give the presidency to the republicans more than once. No matter how popular President Obama is, HB 1355 could allow them to steal the election once again by disenfranchising thousands of voters.
Florida HB 1355 is a concerted attempt to suppress the vote for minorities, students and low-income voters during the 2012 election.
The Justice Department is opposing changes in Florida voting procedures and says it wants a trial in the dispute, a move that could impact the state's August primary elections.
Because the state of Florida has five counties (Collier, Hardee, Hendry, Hillsborough and Monroe) that require federal preclearance for any new elections laws impacting minorities, the U.S. Department of Justice was originally supposed to investigate some of the more controversial aspects of the law. Approval for these counties is mandated by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
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The restrictions challenged in the suit were enacted by Florida legislators in 2011 as part of H.B. 1355, a broad package of election law changes. They include extremely burdensome administrative requirements, unreasonably tight deadlines for submission of completed forms, and heavy penalties for even the slightest delay or mistake. These restrictions are so unnecessarily harsh that they forced the League of Women Voters and Rock the Vote, among other groups, to shut down voter registration programs in Florida — even as voter registration rates have continued to decline in the state.
“For over 72 years, League volunteers have faithfully and successfully helped to register eligible Florida voters,” explained Deirdre Macnab, President of the League of Women Voters of Florida. “Sadly, Florida’s anti-voter law creates impassable roadblocks for our volunteers, who are simply trying to bring fellow citizens into our democratic process."