Today, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), issued the following statement on the U.S. District Court's ruling blocking Florida's new early-voting law from taking effect in the five counties covered by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 196
Today, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), issued the following statement on the U.S. District Court’s ruling blocking Florida’s new early-voting law from taking effect in the five counties covered by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965:
“While I am encouraged by the court’s ruling to block Republicans’ attempts at curtailing early voting in five counties covered by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, I am disheartened that the rest of Florida’s voters have to live under the new law. We now have two separate sets of rules for voters. It’s unconscionable and it will be confusing. Inevitably, it will lead to college students, minorities, seniors and others being disenfranchised.
“We must do everything in our power to educate Floridians on how they can exercise their Constitutional right to vote. The best way to guarantee that your vote counts is to get an absentee ballot. To contact the Miami-Dade Elections Department, call (305) 499-8444 or visit https://www.miamidade.gov/elections/vote_absentee.asp. For the Broward County Supervisor of Elections, call (954) 357-7050 or visit https://www.browardsoe.org/content.aspx?id=30.”
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Background
On May 29, 2012, Florida’s Democratic U.S. Representatives wrote a letter to Governor Scott urging him to suspend immediately his purge of up to 180,000 voters from the rolls.
On Tuesday, August 8, 2012, Congresswoman Wilson, Bishop Victor T. Curry, the Rev. Al Sharpton and the National Action Network held a Voter Engagement Tour luncheon for ministers, elected officials and community leaders at New Birth Baptist Church Cathedral of Faith International in Miami to educate people on their Constitutional right to vote and how to ensure that they are not disenfranchised.
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U.S. Rep. Frederica S. Wilson is a first-term Congresswoman from Florida representing parts of Northern Miami-Dade and Southeast Broward counties. A former state legislator and school principal, she is the founder of the 5000 Role Models for Excellence Project, a mentoring program for young males at risk of dropping out of school.
