Voting Rights Organizations Oppose Election Reform Bills Affecting Third-Party Voter Registration Organizations
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 18, 2023
CONTACT:
Jackie Smith | 989-576-1996 jsmith@poderlatinx.org
Voting Rights Organizations Oppose Election Reform Bills Affecting Third-Party Voter Registration Organizations
ORLANDO, FL - This month, the Florida Senate Ethics and Elections Committee filed Senate Bill 7050, an election-reform bill, presenting several proposed changes to the state’s Elections Code. One of the provisions includes restrictions and penalties for third-party voter registration organizations (3PVROS), of which there are nearly 2,000 active 3PVROs registered in Florida. Some provisions in the policy include a shortened amount of time that a voter registration group has to return completed forms to county elections offices after they’ve been filled out by a potential voter, and a daily late fee of $50 per late application.
Yesterday, the Florida House State Affairs Committee presented PCB SAC 23-01, the House version of Senate Bill 7050. This proposed bill includes a provision in which the individuals collecting or handling voter registration applications on behalf of a 3PVRO must be a citizen of the United States. A violation of this could result in an organization being fined $50,000 for each non-citizen handling voter registrations.
Currently, 1 out of every 10 Latinx voters in Florida is registered by third-party voter registration organizations.
“While we are deeply concerned about SB 7050 and PCB SAC 23-01, we will not be intimidated. The anti-voting attacks in Florida, especially this one targeting voter registration organizations that specifically serve communities of color, are not going unnoticed in the rest of the country. Lawmakers are routinely passing bad bills that make it harder for citizens to exercise their right to vote and for community-based organizations to help our local elections offices and supervisors,” said Carolina Wassmer, Florida State Program Director of Poder Latinx. “Several of the provisions found in these election reform bills could potentially affect the day-to-day operations of organizations like ours, but Poder Latinx will remain an active presence and resource in this state, will continue speaking to Latinxs and registering them to vote, and will remain strong in the fight against bad actors in our democracy. We will continue building the partnerships necessary to form a coalition that will truly serve the needs of everyday Floridians, not just the ones at the top.”
“Nonpartisan organizations that register voters are critical to engage with often-overlooked communities and to ensure they have access to our democratic processes. These proposed changes in the law will have a chilling effect on the services these groups provide and will result in more Floridians being unable to register to vote before the already limiting statutory deadlines,” said Ricardo J. Negron-Almodovar, FL Senior Campaign Manager at All Voting is Local Action.
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Poder Latinx is dedicated to building a sustained progressive voting bloc of Latinx voters in battleground states across the country.
All Voting is Local Action, a nonpartisan organization, fights for policies and legislative priorities that expand pathways to voter registration and access to safe in-person voting and vote by mail so that every voice is heard. For more information about All Voting is Local Action, visit www.allvotingislocal.org/avl-action