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Battle Over Early Voting In Florida Appears To Be Over
September 25, 2012
The war over early voting in Florida ahead of November’s presidential election appeared to wind down Monday, with a federal court refusing to block a portion of the state’s controversial 2011 elections law.
In a ruling Monday, U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan denied a request from Democratic Congresswoman Corrine Brown and other black voters to issue an injunction to keep the state from reducing the number of early-voting days ahead of the Nov. 6 elections — when Florida could play pivotal roles in deciding which party wins the White House, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House.
The voters had argued that the changes, which would reduce the number of early-voting days from at least 12 to no more than eight, would disproportionately affect minority voters, who are more likely to take advantage of early voting than white voters.
The state had countered that elections officials were allowed to offer more hours on each of those days, and that the changes applied equally to all voters.
Corrigan relied heavily on evidence that many counties would offer as many as 12 hours a day in early voting and would require some Sunday voting, a potential opening for the “souls to the polls” get-out-the-vote efforts of some black churches.
“Because Florida’s Early Voting Statute allows early voting during non-working hours, as well as voting during the weekend, including one Sunday, voting times which are important to African American voters, as well as to (get out the vote) efforts, the Court cannot find that the 2011 Early Voting Statute denies equal access to the polls,” he wrote.
Brown and others had argued that the Sunday required for early voting, nearly a week-and-a-half before the election, was not as good as the Sunday immediately before Election Day, which some supervisors used for early voting under the old law.
“I had really hoped that the judge would allow counties to restore voting on the Sunday immediately before election day, but at least we will have one Sunday of early voting guaranteed,” Brown said in a statement issued by her office following the ruling.
Brown vowed to hold a pair of voter-registration drives Tuesday and Sunday in an effort to counter what she portrayed as an effort by the GOP to suppress the black vote.
Brown and the voters could still push forward with the remainder of their lawsuit against the changes, but Corrigan’s ruling means he doesn’t believe they have a good chance of winning the case. And the sides aren’t supposed to let him know whether they want to move forward until December — after the elections.
Corrigan’s order comes a few days after state Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa, and a pair of voting-rights organizations abandoned an administrative case challenging the implementation of the law in 62 of the state’s 67 counties. That fight centered over whether Secretary of State Ken Detzner could require some counties to follow the new law while five counties that must gain federal approval for any voting changes held elections under the old law.
But federal officials eventually green-lighted the early voting change, making the challenge moot.
By Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Comments
11 Responses to “Battle Over Early Voting In Florida Appears To Be Over”
Souls to the polls will have to take place other than on the scheduled Sunday since it is no longer available, won’t it? Like anything else, people can adjust their schedules to accommodate what they want to do. I don’t see how changing the schedule will adversely affect anyone – just plan it for a different time for voting for Pete’s sake!
@Henry Coe
Are you trying to say the republicans will not be out cheated?
Cancelling Sunday voting is purely strategic. It’s obvious who it effects the most. Souls to the polls is an obvious target. It’s a tradition going back decades when elderly black voters get a lift to the polls. This is an obvious problem for Rick Scott. They couldn’t be more obvious in their intent to simply make it harder to vote. It’s as blatant as it gets. Trying to frame it any other way stretches credibility to the breaking point and makes those who do so look like idiots. The thing is, they don’t care if it does. The fact that Rick Scott is without a doubt a one-term governor means he can try anything.
Gee, I was under the impression that anyone could vote any day the poles were open. Or you can vote by absentee ballot. I don’t see how that keeps anyone from voting.
Would someone please explain to my, why blacks and minorities cannot get to the poles the same times that whites can???? Corrine Brown, has done nothing to help the blacks and minorities. Just glad to see she doing something. For years her boxes sat in the same place on the floor and had never been moved and she was NEVER there. This is just amazing to me….
Jane asked: “I have a question; since when is voting an African American issue, since this law seems to affect all voters, whatever the race and sex?”
@Jane,
It’s really a voting rights issue, but the African American/Black community as a demographic votes in large numbers on the Sunday before Tuesday voting. That why the Florida Republicans stopped having two Sunday’s of early voting. They can’t campaign to win by way of a political platform, so they try to win by manipulating who can vote and when.
Mr. Coe, I disagree with you. EARLY voting is for anyone who wants to vote, regardless of their race, color or creed! It wasn’t instituted just for the Democrats,but for ALL PEOPLE!, regardless of the party they chose to belong to. Personally I believe that parties should be done away with. All the MUD slinging that goes on is enough to make one sick! I go along with Mr. Mike and Mr. Lowgun!! Sorry if this disappoints you, but I hear from family members all the time how great the Democrat party is, I just haven’t discovered what’s so great about it. Maybe at one time, but now —OH_OH_OH I think NOT. Abortion, same sex marriage, what next, READ THE BIBLE-God’s word is against such! Along with a lot of others things that go in this country of ours. We were founded on FREEDOM OF RELIGION, but that’s being taken away a little at the time if you’re a Jesus Christ/God believing person, which I happen to be.
What documented case of voter fraud is restricting early voting supposed to address, again? Can anyone give me even one example of voter fraud due to early voting? We should be doing everything we can to get more people to vote, not trying to get less people to vote.
I have a question; since when is voting an African American issue, since this law seems to affect all voters, whatever the race and sex?
Hey Henry, I’m a veteran and I can use my right of free speech to disagree with you. You have the right to your opinion, of course, but so do I.
It’s really sad that entitlement Democrats, socialist in nature, who don’t get what they want in a courtroom will resort to name-calling and insults like children. They say they love liberty and freedom yet support the lawsuits in the Judical branch of government to overturn what was VOTED ON in the Legislative branch of state government by our ELECTED representatives. If taken to the State Supreme Court, they will determine the law constitutional.
Florida Democrats love to cry to the media and play the victim at the same time throwing insults, even when crying about things that are not true.
Let freedom ring by protecting the integrity of our vote. Purge dead voters from the list and require picture ID. Even non-drivers can get a state picture ID and requiring it does not discriminate. My mother-in-law does not drive and she has one. Also ensure that all military votes are counted, instead of trying to disenfranchise many of them like the Democrats tried in 2000 in a courtroom.
The Democrat political platform that supports partial-birth abortion is what’s discusting. Showing Russian Navy ships during the military show of their convention didn’t help either. That mistake was published by Navy Times.
Have a nice day!
No, the battle about early voting is not over. It may be squashed for this election, but it is definitely not over.
Florida Republicans changed the voting hours and days to manipulate voter turn out so less people had access to the polls, not to increase voter turn out.
That judge should be ashamed of himself as well should any Florida Republican that swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution.
It’s really sad the Corporatist Republicans have to manipulate election laws to have a chance at winning while Democracy loses. It taints every drop of blood that has ever been shed by every Veteran that’s ever lived.
One cannot save America by choking Liberty’s throat. Let freedom ring, let people vote and please stop manipulating laws in voting to offset a lack of a political platform. It’s disgusting.