Today, Project Vote and its affiliate, Voting for America, were given permission by the federal district court in Washington, DC, to intervene in Florida’s case seeking preclearance of extensive voting changes passed by the legislature earlier this year as HB 1355.
If approved, this controversial law will make it harder for Floridians to register to vote, vote, and have their votes counted. Among other provisions, HB 1355 reduces the number of days when early voting can occur, and imposes severe restrictions on registration drives like those engaged in and supported by Project Vote and Voting for America.
Under the federal Voting Rights Act, five Florida counties are required to seek “preclearance” of any voting changes from the United States Department of Justice or the federal court. The state of Florida has submitted four of the most discriminatory and regressive portions of the law for review in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. In August, attorneys from the ACLU and Project Vote filed a Motion to Intervene, which the court granted this morning. (Read a press release on the motion here.)
Along with a number of individual residents of Florida, and organizations that include the AFL-CIO of FL, the National Council of La Raza, and the Florida NAACP, Project Vote and Voting for America will now be able to participate directly in the 3-judge court’s consideration of whether the new Florida law would diminish the voting rights of racial minority citizens of the state.
“Project Vote and Voting for America are dedicated to bringing voter registration opportunities to minority communities,” says Estelle Rogers, director of advocacy for Project Vote. “We are uniquely positioned to tell the court just how damaging this law will be to those efforts.”