Federal court says Florida’s plan to restrict early voting could adversely impact black voters

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A federal court says a Florida law that restricts the number of early-voting days could result in a dramatic reduction in participation by blacks.

The Republican-controlled Florida legislature last year cut the number of early-voting days to 8 from 12.

But the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled late Thursday that because of the law’s potential impact on minority voters, it would not allow Florida to put the changes in place in five Florida counties covered by federal voting laws.

The 119-page ruling did say there were ways that the state could ultimately come up with a plan to change early voting that would not adversely affect minority voting rights.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/federal-court-says-floridas-plan-to-restrict-early-voting-could-adversely-impact-black-voters/2012/08/16/cf6e4d80-e81e-11e1-9739-eef99c5fb285_story.html

[Grassy Knoll]

1. I don't understand this fight 8 days 12 days....

WTF go vote, if you know the rules, go vote early within 8 days,
Is this an east coast thing ? because I've always voted early, within 5 days
and always had to show my drivers license or ss card. I truly don't get this fight.
Is Calif. and NV. ahead of the times ?

[Fuddnik]

2. They're trying to eliminate Sunday voting first.

Sundays are historically days that black churches get their voters to the polls.

And, I've been voting since 1972, and never once have I ever been asked to provide ID to vote. And now, I've voted absentee for the last 8 years or so. By mail. Never had to provide ID then either.

I don't know where you live, but it's got to be a fucked up place.

[Grassy Knoll]

4. I live in Reno, NV. ......

But previously in CA. we all out here show a drivers license to vote.
Hardly a fucked up place. Go on Saturday or Monday, beat the Cons
at their own game.

[Igel]

7. Showing ID is a good thing.

Once was a poll worker in NY and the table across the room (a different precinct) had people who weren't good at accents.

I listened and realized that they were having a couple sign in the wrong place. I explained to the voters what was going on, they got out their IDs to convince the poll workers that they'd been making a mistake.

And, yes, that evening a couple came in and was curious about why there were crossed-out signatures in their spots in the poll book. Had the naturalized citizens not shown their ID they'd have voted in place of another couple, who would have been able to prove that somebody else voted in their stead. (I've seen a lot of poll shenanigans. Mostly committed by fairly well-meaning but utterly incompetent poll workers.)



I've had some sort of ID since I was 16. That's 37 years. Drivers license, college student ID, passport, state-issued ID. If you count SS card, I guess I got that when I was 8.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. Why doesn't Florida change the law so they can have early voting?

[csziggy]

8. We HAD early voting but the Republican comtrolled legislature changed it

This year and reduced the number of days. Especially egregious was cutting the weekend voting on the weekend just before election day. Lots of people have trouble getting time to vote on a weekday and many don't want to vote over a week before Election Day, so that final weekend was a very popular time to vote.

I'm happy the federal judge ruled to allow those days in those counties but I hope that the Florida Secretary of State will take a tip from the Ohio one and make all counties in Florida equal for the number of days available to vote. I would find it offensive if only those five of the sixty seven Florida counties were permitted extended voting days.

I voted early in the primary because the early voting location closest to me is easier to navigate than my regular voting location. By November I should be able to walk better (now three months out from one knee replacement, three weeks from the other), but this week I would not have been able to manage the gravel in the parking lot of my regular polling place. So last week I went to the early voting place which has all paved parking and a covered place to unload - which I needed since it was raining.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

10. Thanks for info

[csziggy]

11. I just put this thread up in the Florida Group

View profile
Is your county going to allow 12 days of early voting?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1045392

[DavidL]

5. And Governor Rick Scott will thumb his nose

at the court, and do absolutely nothing.

Am I right?

[Dustlawyer]

6. How can this farce be perpetrated in America. The right to vote in America is so fundamental

to our nation and what we stand for. This move by the Repugs is so transparent considering that there is almost 0 voter fraud in the whole U.S. that would be addressed by their moves. Also, you have video of a Repug bragging that these voter I.D. requirements were an intentional act to reduce Democratic votes. This is not a violation of some law when they have the specific intent to prevent eligible voters from voting, by making them ineligible? All by a party that has a quick trigger finger in calling Dems unpatriotic for stupid crap like flag pins.

[trouble.smith]

9. you can always vote a provisional ballot in Florida if need be.

[csziggy]

12. Traditionally provisional and absentee ballots are NOT counted

Unless there are enough of them to change the outcome of the election. That came out as part of the 2000 fiasco - that most of the time those ballots were just tossed and never counted.

[William769]

13. Could? Thats an understatement!