News & Commentary

I am pretty concerned – as maybe you are as well – about the impact of this week’s elections on civil liberties. But I’m not discouraged. Let me tell you why.

Do you remember the final match that the U.S. Men’s team played in this year’s World Cup? I don’t watch a lot of soccer, but that match is helpful in understanding where things stand after this week’s election.

An aggressive Belgian team had the U.S. rocked back on their heels playing defense for nearly the entire match. It should have been a blowout by the Belgian team, but it wasn’t -- because of the heroic effort of the U.S. goalkeeper, Tim Howard. He made an incredible athletic effort, refusing to give up. He set a World Cup record for blocking shots, keeping the Belgians scoreless in regulation and forced overtime.

That’s what ACLU is. You, me and all of our thousands of members and supporters across Florida -- when civil liberties are under attack, we are the goalkeeper.

For many Floridians, the end of October is about claiming their red or blue affiliations, but for me the color of the season is pink. For me the pink ribbon, the universal symbol for Breast Cancer Awareness, is about more than a walk or fundraiser. When I see pink I think of my mother, who for the second time is fighting stage four metastasized breast cancer.

But with all of the coverage of this year’s gubernatorial race (including #fangate), an important constitutional amendment that could help patients like my mother is getting little attention, and it needs your support.

You’ve got to admire the Florida Legislature for its creativity in inventing ways to circumvent democracy and minimize the power of the people’s vote.

Voters should not be fooled by the Legislature’s latest con – proposed constitutional Amendment #3. It is a pernicious proposal “requiring” that a lame-duck Governor, rather than the newly-elected Governor, fill judicial vacancies.

It should be soundly defeated.

This morning, I hit the snooze on the alarm clock, stretched, put on some comfy slippers, and performed my most fundamental right as an American citizen– I voted!

Election Day is almost two weeks away, but Floridians don’t have to wait to make their voices heard in our democracy. You can vote easily and confidently now.

After the long lines that many voters had to wait in on Election Day in 2012, many Floridians are choosing to take advantage of the different, simpler options that are available for them to vote: early voting and voting by mail. Here’s what voters need to know to take advantage of these choices.

By Julie Ebenstein, Staff Attorney, ACLU Voting Rights Project

On Tuesday, Attorney General Eric Holder expressed his support for restoring voting rights to citizens who have committed a felony after they serve their terms in prison, complete parole or probation, and pay any restitution fines. While the ACLU believes rights should automatically be restored upon release from prison and being too poor to pay fines shouldn't leave you without a voice in our democracy, this is an important step in the right direction.

The federal government has rightfully acknowledged how post-Civil War era criminal disfranchisement laws intended to suppress the voting rights of African Americans "defy the principles of accountability and rehabilitation that guide our criminal justice policies."

This also isn't a problem that only affects a few people. If the more than 5.8 million disenfranchised Americans lived in a state of their own, that state would have 10 votes in the electoral college.

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Florida holds the dubious distinction of being among the three worst states to permanently disenfranchise individuals with a felony conviction. These individuals have limited possibility for restoration of civil rights unless they receive discretionary executive clemency. On the near eve of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday celebration, we are poignantly reminded that racism still exists in American society, that there are too many national policies that are inherently racist, and that right here in Florida, we have more than our share of discriminatory policies and practices.

Today, over 80 individuals including clergy and leaders from across the state, came together to call on Attorney General Pam Bondi to “Let My People Vote”. The speakers called for the automatic restoration of civil rights, to expedite the rights restoration application process, and to give back the right to vote for the over 1.5 million Floridians who have been disenfranchised by this system.

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