Breaking: DOJ Opposes Florida Laws on Voter Registration Groups, Early Voting

[flpoljunkie]

Source: Talkingpointsmemo

Breaking: DOJ Opposes Florida Laws On Voter Registration Groups, Early Voting
RYAN J. REILLY MARCH 2, 2012, 11:45 PM

The Justice Department objected late Friday to new provisions of Florida election law which place strict regulations on third-party voter registration groups and cut down on the early voting period. DOJ alleged in a court filing that Florida was unable to prove the new provisions were not discriminatory under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

“As to the third-party voter registration and early voting changes enacted… respectively, the United States’ position is that the State has not met its burden, on behalf of its covered counties, that the two sets of proposed voting changes are entitled to preclearance under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act,” according to a court filing.

Florida had begun the preclearance process with DOJ but subsequently sued the government after federal lawyers asked for additional information about how some provisions of the state’s new election law would be enforced.

Non-partisan groups like the League of Women Voters have ended their voter registration efforts in the state because of the law, which forces individuals conducting voter registration drives to get permission from the state and turn in voter registration cards within 48 hours of a voter filling them out. The League of Women Voters, the Brennan Center, and Rock The Vote are also fighting that provision of the law in court and an initial hearing was held earlier this week.

Read more: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/03/breaking_doj_opposes_florida_laws_on_voter_registration_groups_early_voting.php

[fasttense]

1. It's a poll-test.

Like the history tests they use to give in the South in order to vote, all these unnecessary voter ID laws and restrictions on when you can vote and register are tests. If you can make it through the cluster-f**k of red tape, then maybe we will let you vote.

[McCamy Taylor]

2. Thank you, Eric Holder for upholding the law.

[pscot]

9. And what the hell took him so long

to get around to it? Holder is the most feckless AG we've had in 30 years.

[Sancho]

3. believe me...registration here can be a nightmare...

My wife and I took several trips to get registered. We had to order "state approved" birth certificates, etc. What's interesting are our ultra conservative retired neighbors. One was born in Argentina and worked for the US Gov. as an engineer from WWII until the 90's. He had an expired passport and no original birth certificate. His wife doesn't drive and uses a walker. She had a hugh difficulty traveling to the government offices to get a picture ID.

Their daughter (lawyer) spent a month getting them registered to vote!! Hahaha...now they are pissed. Every time they take out the trash or get the mail, I ask them it they are still in love with Rick Scott. I think they are beginning to soften. The voter ID thing may have done it.

[Lasher]

8. What if you were already registered before?

Do you have to go register again?

[morningglory]

4. Colbert did a great piece on this, a Florida teacher

who was fined $1,000.00 for giving high school students registration forms and taking the forms to the voter registration office.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

5. Reduce voter registrations and make it more inconvenient to vote

part of the Repig drive to keep Democrats from voting. Most voter registration drives are done by Dem or Dem-leaning orgs. They of course don't tell people how to register but that's usually who does them. And many many people use early voting in order to avoid crowds on election day or because another day is more convenient.

This should disenfranchise enough voters - along with the Voter ID laws - to help keep Obama from winning (or any other Dem).

Also consider gerrymandering of districts all across the country, and the still-broken, still insecure, vote-flipping machines still being used.

Don't take 2012 for granted or think we've got in the can. We don't. Not with all this going on.

[AndyTiedye]

10. The Teabaggers Control 27 States With 270 Electoral Votes

And the Repigs are acting as if THEY have it in the bag so they only have to appeal to their base now.
It is entirely possible that they do. If they can steal Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, they "win".

This is why I do not support any effort to help Santorum get the Repiglickin nomination.

[SunSeeker]

6. Good!

I appreciate the DOJ getting on top of this obvious violation of the voting rights act.

[jpak]

7. K&R

yup