HB 1355: Election Reform Comes to Florida?

cartoon courtesy of: http://kzindex.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/vote.jpg. 

"At times history and fate meet at a single time in a single place to shape a turning point in man's unending search for freedom. So it was at Lexington and Concord. So it was a century ago at Appomattox. So it was last week in Selma, Alabama. There is no Negro problem. There is no southern problem. There is no northern problem. There is only an American problem. Many of the issues of civil rights are very complex and most difficult. But about this there can and should be no argument. Every American citizen must have the right to vote...Yet the harsh fact is that in many places in this country men and women are kept from voting simply because they are Negroes... No law that we now have on the books...can insure the right to vote when local officials are determined to deny it... There is no Constitutional issue here. The command of the Constitution is plain. There is no moral issue. It is wrong--deadly wrong--to deny any of your fellow Americans the right to vote in this country. There is no issue of States' rights or National rights. There is only the struggle for human rights."

President Lyndon B. Johnson (1965)

President Lyndon B. Johnson was talking about the Civil Rights movement and the disfranchisement of African American citizens in this country. Some would argue that HB 1355 is doing something similar to mobile citizens, college students in particular, in Florida--a state where 1 in 6 moves at least once in a given year. 

Last week, the Florida legislature passed HB 1355—a bill that radically reforms election law and voting rights of many Floridians. The bill addresses several election reform issues including minor political parties, third party voter registration, the Election Code pamphlet, Voter ID card, early voting, and voter registration. I am not going to look at the entire bill, instead I plan on examining three sections: voter registration, early voting, and third party voter registration.

Voter Registration: Previously, in Florida, individuals could change their address or name at the polls prior to casting a regular ballot as long as proper identification was provided. If this bill becomes law, this will no longer be the case. Under HB 1355, the only individuals who could change their name or address on Election Day would be those who have moved within the same county. Otherwise, an individual must cast a provisional ballot and later provide proper identification to the supervisor of elections in that county.

Early Voting: HB 1355 also reduces the early voting time from 14 days to 8 days.

Third Party Voter Registration: If a third party group such as Rock the Vote or League of Women Voters does not submit the voter registration paperwork within 48 hours of receiving it, a $50 fine will be administered per form.

What does this issue have to do with education? Simple, college students are some of the most mobile individuals in the state. If this bill becomes law, college students will no longer be able to change their voter registration information at the polls on Election Day. Instead, they will have to cast a provisional ballot, which according to one election supervisor “provisional ballots are often reserved for close races and thus go “uncounted”.  Additionally, historically Florida has a huge early voter turnout and long lines for early voting. In the 2008 election, many college students took advantage of the early voting opportunities. And, organizations such as Rock the Vote had incredible presence on the University of Florida’s campus during the 2008 election, promoting voter registration.

U.S. Senator Bill Nelson has informed Governor Scott that if he signs HB 1355 into law, he will have to answer to the U.S. Justice Department because “Florida is one of 9 states that, under the Voting Rights Acts, must get federal clearance for any changes to election laws that could impact racial, ethnic, or language minorities”.

Will this bill be signed into law? Will the U.S. Justice Department get involved? Stay tuned to find out.