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Advocacy Blog
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Hostility towards Voter Registration?
The Tampa Tribune has reported on Florida's noncompliance with the National Voter Registration Act's (NVRA) requirement that voter registration be provided at public assistance offices. "Florida is failing to help low-income residents register to vote when they sign up for public assistance, say voting rights advocates who may sue over the issue. [. . .] In January, lawyers for three national advocacy groups - Project Vote, ACORN and Demos - complained to Secretary of State Kurt Browning that the number of voter registrations received through Florida's public assistance agencies has plummeted since 1995."
According to Florida Division of Elections data, public assistance agencies turned in 9 percent of voter registrations received in 1995. By 2007, they were contributing 1.8 percent. By 2007, agency registrations had dropped from 120,886 to 10,470. Meanwhile, enrollment in Florida's assistance programs has remained relatively steady.
In addition, we have been following Florida's restrictions on voter registration drives, and the Florida Times-Union reports; "Voter registration drives statewide are under fire from a new state law that establishes stiff fees for groups who undertake them." The League of Women Voters is challenging that law, which a federal judge has until mid-August to decide on.
Posted by Amanda Adams
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