Following up on Rachel's segment last night, it was, to put it mildly, an eventful day in Florida yesterday, where Republican policymakers' efforts to restrict 2012 voting suffered some key setbacks.
To briefly recap, GOP efforts, pushed by Gov. Rick Scott (R), have included cracking down on voter-registration drives, limiting the number of days available for early voting, and in the new push, taking away voting rights from eligible citizens while trying to purge non-citizens from the voting rolls. Yesterday, the Justice Department intervened on the most recent tactic.
The Justice Department sent a letter to Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner Thursday evening demanding the state cease purging its voting rolls because the process it is using has not been cleared under the Voting Rights Act, TPM has learned.
DOJ also said that Florida's voter roll purge violated the National Voter Registration Act, which stipulates that voter roll maintenance should have ceased 90 days before an election, which given Florida's August 14 primary, meant May 16.
Five of Florida's counties are subject to the Voting Rights Act, but the state never sought permission from either the Justice Department or a federal court to implement its voter roll maintenance program.
Update: MSNBC published the Justice Department's letter online here.
What's more, around the same time as the DOJ's intervention, a federal judge ruled against the state's new restrictions on voter-registration drives, which is no small development, though the same court left intact Florida's decision to narrow its early-voting window.
As if that weren't enough, a county elections supervisor in Palm Beach yesterday rejected the state's voter-purge list, describing the Scott administration's information as "not credible."
And bolstering Democratic arguments, Lenny Curry, the head of the Florida Republican Party, conceded on MSNBC yesterday that his state's voter purge is relying on flawed information, saying, "There are certainly some issues with the data." Curry insisted, however, that the purge efforts continue anyway.
Taken together, it appears that Florida is once again ground zero for a systemic election year fiasco. Try to contain your surprise.
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Go DOJ!
A not too dissimilar event of "State v. Fed" took place in the South, during the Eisenhower administration.
Sadly, the 101st Airborne Division is otherwise occupied today. So the question remains: who will escort voters to the polls?
We cannot let Rick Scott and his Tea Bagger cronies get away with what is election fraud and voter disenfranchisement on a mass scale. The Florida purge is about nothing but cleansing the voting rolls of enough minorities and Democrats and independent voters to assure Mitt Romney wins the state this November. They had years to remove these supposed "non-citizens" from registration lists, but they didn't. That's because this is a fabricated problem, made up by the GOP to justify this sleazy and illegal; effort now that Mitt is in trouble. Rick Scott needs to be jailed for this. http://www.sunstateactivist.org
Rick had help so he shouldn't be facing charges of voter suppression/tampering alone, there are others that need to be standing by their man being carted off to jail.
I think it's not just election stories. It's Florida, and how events from there percolate upward into the national media.
As I posted on March 26:
That was about Trayvon somebody. How's that been going?
The stories we see here take about a week to "trickle up" unless it involves a missing blond woman or a tweeted picture of somebody's private parts.
Next shiny object .
I mentioned it to several non - internet non bloggish types yesterday and was generally met with blank stares...
Most of Mr and Mrs America Low Information Voters get their nooze from those 30 second clips on the nightly or their local .
You know the types one week before the election UHH Uhhh I haven't made up my mind yet .
Democracy is such an inconvenience
Thank you, Lord, that I don't live in Florida anymore. Virginia's bad enough, but it's not Florida.
Looks like Rick Scott is also getting into the "bath salts" these days; "Calgon, take me away"..
Knowing a thing or two about DOJ pre-clearance in Florida (especially within the 5 Voting Rights Act counties) where you, literally, cannot change a polling place without DOJ signing off I am surprised it took this long for them to respond to the purge attempt.
There is an entire office in DOJ devoted to Voting Rights Act enforcement. What in god's name have they been doing? Stepping out to Starbucks? Tweeting? Going to meaningless meetings to puff up their egos? This is the question which should be asked Mr. and Ms. Media -- but I will not hold my breath for you to do so. I do understand you must dart off to Starbucks and then you have a meeting.
I'll just throw in for those of you who like to track this sort of thing. The Florida Statutes suppressing voting the Federal Judge struck down were passed as CS/CS/HB 1355 (CS=Committee Substitute). HB 1355 was introduced in the Florida House by ... wait for it ... State Representative Dennis Baxley.
Yes. The same guy who sponsored Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law.
Doncha just love it?
How do you spell oligarch....A.L.E.C.
I've been saying this all along. Why is it that Obama and the Justice Department took so long. It was obvious well over a year ago what the Republicans were up to all across the country. Since when shouldn't they defend voting rights?
For decades "Driving while Black" drew scant attention from the DOJ.
So the GOP is escalating- nationwide! going after "Voting while Democrat".
Based on how well the GOP has done with their primaries, see Maine and Iowa, they have no credibility on fair election legislation. All the new rules to disenfranchise voters and diminish union influence show desperation rather than an honest interest in fair elections.
Rachel, you have got to hear this! Davis County School District in Utah, took a book out of circulation in the library in one of their schools because it showed a happy Gay couple raising children. It was a children's book with pictures and a story that looked pretty much like any other children's library book but when one of the students in the district took it home from school, the parents immediately called the school board and it was pulled! Will people ever learn?
This whole affair is sending a message to Floridians and others in the country. If you are not hardcore GOP, you will be targeted.
Given Florida relies heavily on a continued influx of retirees to maintain its fragile economy, alienating a good half of the potential new residents across the country seems like a foolish idea.
Here in Maine we fought this unAmerican attack on the voter with logic, and that logic was.. .show me the fraud, prove that is is as bad as you say BEFORE you start eliminating voters. The entire Voter ID and Voter fraud issue the GOP is screaming about is nothing but a concerted effort to restrict access to the polls to people they do not like.
.. and they wrap themselves in a flag while they plot to eliminate voters... it is a shockingly bold move that makes me wonder why anyone would support people that plot like this to disadvantage people.... it boggles the mind... did we learn nothing about vilification from WWII?
If you want to hear more about stripping voting rights, I recommend checking out Democracy Now!'s coverage. Amy Goodman spoke with three guests today about Florida's voting purge and how it affects Latino voters. Check it out at www.democracynow.org!
If you want to hear more about stripping voting rights, I recommend checking out Democracy Now!'s coverage. Amy Goodman spoke with three guests today about Florida's voting purge and how it affects Latino voters. Check it out at www.democracynow.org!
Good Morning All! I live in Florida and I was outraged by the story about the voting purge here. Although it certainly makes sense to me now how Bush 43 won down here. I knew there was a hook. Thank you Rachel for giving this issue national attention. Who Knew? This governor is the worst we have had since claude kirk!
Poor Claude. I knew Claude. Claude was nuts to be sure, but he was not mean and he was fun. Claude also mended his ways eventually and became a Democrat. Were I to look toward a recent Gubernatorial jerk I would look at Bobby Martinez and his owner/handler John "Mac" Stipanovich.
" Lenny Curry, the head of the Florida Republican Party, conceded on MSNBC yesterday that his state's voter purge is relying on flawed information, saying, "There are certainly some issues with the data." Curry insisted, however, that the purge efforts continue anyway."
And that my friends, is the oblivious and malevolent republican party in a perfectly presented package with a bow on it.
Thank you Lenny. Your candor is exceeded only by the the perfect insight you provide into the greater f'ed-upness of your party's worldview and it's approach to everything.
The Rape-Public-Con-Men are just engaging in improvisational evil (borrowing the "rules" of improvisational comedy):
"You're breaking the law!"
"Yes, and...?"
Such desperation. These are the antics of a two year old. I swear my dog has more integrity!
Watching Florida, Texas and other states around america that has enacted and enforcing voters suppression laws.
I repeat that I will never visit Florida for any reason.
These folks must now cease to their activities or face repercussions.
Even if they do stop voter disenfranchisement, I will never forget that state and other states' willingness to subvert the foundation of this country. Electing our own government.
I hold in disdain those involved in any such activities past, present or future under the guise of some manufactured "what if" scenarios. What if even more people vote than 2008? What law will be enacted to stop it?
I would like to comment on the antics of our criminal gov. Rick Scott who is now trying to steal the election, just as they did in 2000. I, a life long Democratic, am a registered republican. Thus I'm one of the favored. I recieve all kinds of mail from the RNC & Mitt. I wanted to make sure I was going to be able to vote so I presented myself to the county voter registration center with birth certificate, drivers license & passport in hand. I was assured that I was eligible to vote. Being a registered republican offers me assorted benefits. I get to vote against republican candidates that I DON"T want to win the republican nomination in the primaries, I'm considered a "good" voter bet and best of all it allows me to fly under the radar. Sure, there are rare occasions when I would prefer one democratic candidate over another------but as long as it's a democrat I'm happy. We should all consider registering republican-----what would they do then????????????
Sadly, with the easy availability of a wide variety of demographic data (which can be obtained broken down geographically street by street), you can still be targeted, regardless of the party affiliation under which you registered...
Hey Sandi954: Not all Floridians are behind criminal gov. rick scott ( note: I will not give him any respect by capitalizing his title or name.) As far as I'm concerned he's not my gov. & I only wish we could recall the SOB. Please don't think badly of ALL Floridians. Many, many Floridians are as horrified about what's going on as you are. Please read the my comment above & consider registering republican then vote your democratic ticket. It will make it impossible for the RNC to disenfranchise voters, cause GOD forbid they might eliminate voters they need!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Excellent point. Many of us do register as Republicans, myself included. I have no say in local office elections if I do not as my home county is completely red. I do switch if there is a need to in a Democratic (Statewide or Presidential) Primary.
Oh no, I do not think badly of all Floridians. I just have to make it known I won't support that type of anti-democratic activity. I am also torn with Komen, as my friends registered for 3rd year 3 day. I do not want to punish breast cancer patients, research or testing. but I cannot support their cutting off a major needed Planned Parenthood for politics.
If I am shown that Florida has particular "friendlier" businesses and Republicans stop trying to keep people from voting, I will forgive it.
You 2 are wise to use tactics to protect yourselves in your areas. My area is pretty solidly Democratic. I used to register "decline to state", but then I could not vote in primaries. So I register Democrat. Good luck to those of you that face this detestable activity.
Add your voice and name to a petition at Change.Org:
http://www.change.org/petitions/protect-the-right-to-vote-of-91-year-old-wwii-veteran-181-999-other-florida-voters
Increase the pressure on Florida's Rick Scott and the DOJ to do the right thing!
Boycott Fla. vacations and drop a note to the gov. office and tourism office letting them know why you changed your vacation plans. Money TALKS ! not spending any of my money in the state.