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Today is International Human Rights Day. On this day, we are reminded that all persons as members of the human family have certain inalienable rights. These rights are enshrined in our nation’s Constitution as a living testimony to our humanity. One of these rights is the right to vote, and this foundation of our democracy has become a human rights crisis in our state. Florida is one of only a few states that denies the right to vote for individuals with prior felony convictions, and is by far the worst offender, with more than 1.5 million people in Florida shut out of our democracy. This situation was exacerbated under rules passed by the Florida Board of Executive Clemency – made up of Governor Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and several other cabinet officers – shortly after their inauguration in 2011.

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 Diana Scholl Communications Strategist, ACLU National When I wrote about Justin Bieber's trouble with the law last week, we didn't know how far he'd fall in just a few days. Now Bieber has been arrested for late-night drag racing in Miami Beach. If convicted, another immigrant in his situation would very likely languish in immigration detention before being deported. That person—like 84 percent of people in immigration detention-- would also likely not have an immigration attorney, let alone a high-priced one. While the media is focused on what will happen to Bieber, let's instead focus on what will happen to all of the other immigrants who are detained and deported for lesser offenses than his. Learn more about them.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida celebrates the President Obama’s executive action on immigration along with communities across Florida who will now qualify for temporary protection from deportation. The President’s action is a significant step – but only a first step towards a pathway to citizenship which would affirm the fuller recognition of all immigrants’ rights. An important part of the President’s announcement of executive action on immigration was the accompanying DHS memo that ended the federal government’s failed Secure Communities program.