The American Democracy Minute for October 20, 2022
Today’s Links
Articles:
Tampa Bay Times – Police cameras show confusion, anger over DeSantis’ voter fraud arrests
WGCU – Questions grow over Gov. DeSantis’ voter fraud arrests
Associated Press – DeSantis’ election police unit announces voter fraud cases
Groups Taking Action:
Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, ACLU Florida, League of Women Voters FL
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
Let’s say you’re a felon, but you’re allowed to register to vote and handed a voting card by a state official. So that means you can vote, right? But in August, Florida’s new election police force started making voter fraud arrests of people who had been improperly issued voting information cards by the State of Florida.
Video obtained by the Tampa Bay Times, shows officers arresting convicted felons who had completed their sentences and parole, for voter fraud. But it’s confusion over Florida’s 2018 constitutional change allowing most felons to vote which seems to be the real culprit.
The video shows conversations between the officers and confused citizens saying that they had been given a voting card at the DMV and thought they were now eligible voters. The Tampa Bay Times reviewed the cases of several alleged cases of voter fraud, and in most of those cases, state officials had issued voter information cards to those arrested.
When Florida voters approved the constitutional amendment in 2018, it excluded felons convicted of murder and sex crimes. But the registration form used at the DMV for voter registraton, while it includes a disclosure about being a felon, doesn’t clarify that felons who committed a murder do not qualify, according to the Times.
Within hours of the arrests, Governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference, touting his “crack down” on voter fraud. “They’re going to pay the price,” Desantis said.
Articles and groups taking action are linked at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org
For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl
Check the rules and locations for use of drop boxes by contacting your local election officials. We have a list of state rules at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.
For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.