Florida can once again be the leader of the poll | Column

When it comes to voting, Florida-elected officials love to tote our own horns, claiming we are “Florida’s free state” and the gold standard for elections. What those officials don’t say is that we were gold standard just a few years ago.

Now, Florida’s elected leaders are making it increasingly difficult for eligible Florida voters to vote. They effectively choose their voters to ensure they remain in power. Now we can see a perfect example of this play. House Bill 1381 is a horrifying bill that causes confusion and confusion for voters and election officials. That can be particularly difficult for seniors, students and country voters in Florida. In fact, eligible Florida voters who do not have a valid passport or birth certificate that matches their current legal name could be kicked out of their voter role.

Florida State Senators were given the option to change it. In the strike amendment proposed by Rep. Lavon Bracy Davis on the committee, they were given the ability to advance reforms that would help more qualified Florida voters access the vote while still maintaining the safety and security of the election. They were given the option to advance Florida’s voting rights laws and once again make Florida a gold standard in elections. But lawmakers on the committee chose a bad option that made voting harder for thousands of people.

Why ask the Harry T. & Harriet V. Moore Florida Voting Rights Act (Senate Bill 1582 & House Bill 1409) transformative steps to secure and expanding the voting rights of all Floridians?

Florida’s Voting Rights Act is necessary for several reasons. First, we continue to see the erosion of federal voting rights laws through the Supreme Court decision. And the US Congress has failed to pass a reauthorization of the law, making it difficult to enforce.

At the state level, we have seen Florida governors and legislature enact voter suppression laws that disproportionately affect black voters, younger voters, renters, English-speaking voters as second language, and voters with disabilities from accessing votes.

So, a broad coalition of groups is supporting Florida’s voting rights laws to stop these voter suppression tactics and to give back to Florida people. Here are some of the things Florida Voting Rights Act offers:

●Voters registered on the same day. Allow eligible Floridians to register and vote on Election Day

● Automatic voter registration for Florida highway safety and motor vehicle interactions

*Remove permanent voting status, unnecessary burden on voters who prefer to vote from home

Election material Available in Spanish, Creole, and other languages ​​spoken by qualified Florida voters

*Removal of severe penalties for community organizations making efforts to register voters

Voting rights should not be a partisan issue. Access to votes does not benefit one political party. Elected officials benefit Floridians because they demand that they be more sensitive to the people and communities they serve.

Now, Florida can be the leader in the right things about voting. Florida is the first state in Deep South to introduce state-level voting rights laws, and we can pass first. State that have passed its own voting rights laws have fewer issues and more participation. If elected Florida officials truly believe in freedom, they should support freedom of voting. Florida’s Voting Rights Act is the freedom to access the votes of all eligible Floridians. Not a selected minority.

Amy Keith is the executive director of Common Cause Florida. A common cause is nonpartisan grassroots organizations dedicated to maintaining the core values ​​of American democracy.