Florida and other GOP-dominated states’ new elections rules could shut out 5 million voters in 2012

[nashville_brook]

http://wp.me/p1OWMF-13

Florida and other GOP-dominated states’ new elections rules could shut out 5 million voters next year

by Dara Kam | October 3rd, 2011

Florida and more than a dozen other states’ new elections laws intended to clamp down on voting fraud could keep 5 million Americans from voting in next year’s presidential election, a new study by the Brennan Center for Justice found.

As in Florida, the laws require voters to show photo identification before casting ballots, cut back on early voting days or impose restrictions on voter registration drives. Florida’s new election law passed by the Republican-controlled legislature in May and signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott includes all of those elements and more.

(snip)

The Brennan Center analysis found that the new laws, including Florida’s, could have a significant impact on next year’s presidential election because the changes will primarily impact minority and low-income voters who tend to vote for Democrats. Florida’s law could also make it more difficult for college and university students – who played a key role in President Obama’s 2008 victory – to vote.

“This is the most significant cutback in voting rights in decades. More voters may be affected than the margin of victory in two out of the past three presidential elections,” Michael Waldman, executive director of the Brennan Center for Justice, said in a statement released with the new study. “In 2012 we should make it easier for every eligible citizen to vote. Instead, we have made it far harder for too many. Partisans should not try to tilt the electoral playing field in this way.”

See full article here:

http://www.postonpolitics.com/2011/10/florida-and-other-gop-dominated-states-new-elections-rules-could-shut-out-5-million-voters-next-year/

[msongs]

1. Meanwhile the feds do nothing about this calcualted voter suppression. oh well nt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. What can they do? States decide their own voting procedures.

[nashville_brook]

3. five Florida counties are covered by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act...

...and this is being litigated before a Federal Court in the District of Columbia. i think there's at least an expectation that the Federal Government would uphold and enforce the Voting Rights Act.

___________

here's some background from the Brennan Center....
http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/state_of_florida_v._united_states_of_america/

Five of Florida’s counties are covered by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which requires states to submit election changes to the federal government for review. States can do this either by seeking “preclearance” from the Department of Justice, or by filing a lawsuit before a federal court in the District of Columbia. The state of Florida originally submitted the new law to the Department of Justice for review, and the Brennan Center, alongside the League of Women Voters of Florida, the Lawyers’ Committee, and Democracia USA joined forces to submit detailed comments to the Department demonstrating that the law reduced opportunities for voting and unlawfully restricted voter registration – and in the process, disproportionately hurt Florida’s minority voters.

Before the DOJ issued its ruling on the Florida law, Florida pulled the controversial provisions of its election law from the Justice Department’s review and chose to pursue approval of the changes in court, prompting the League of Women Voters of Florida and Democracia (now a voting rights project of the National Council of La Raza, or NCLR), represented by attorneys at the Brennan Center and the Lawyers’ Committee, to announce that they would, in turn, file their objections with the court. represented by attorneys at the Brennan Center and the Lawyers’ Committee to announce that they would, in turn, file their objections with the court. The groups have filed an intervention motion in Federal court to formally oppose the controversial new restrictions on voting and voter registration imposed by H.B. 1355.

The groups argue the law will erect unnecessary barriers to voting and voter registration and will disproportionately harm Florida’s minority voters. The two groups are represented by attorneys with the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, working in partnership with pro bono counsel from leading law firm Bryan Cave.

The groups’ objections focus on three key effects of the new law:

The law will restrict the opportunity and ability of citizens and grassroots organizations to conduct voter registration drives, which disproportionately register African-American and Hispanic Floridians to vote;

The law will reduce the number of days in the state’s early voting period, and eliminate the option of voting on the Sunday before an election – a day with the highest level of minority turnout; and

The law will make it impossible for registered voters who have recently moved between Florida counties to provide notice of their change of address on election day and still cast a regular ballot, placing a burden on voters who tend to move more frequently, including low-income and minority voters.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. Good. I hope it works.