Judge Bars Florida Voter ID Law

In a win for voting rights groups Tuesday, a federal judge in Gainesville barred the Florida from enforcing a two-year-old law requiring election supervisors to verify a would-be voter's identity by using a driver's license or the last four digits of a Social Security number.

Secretary of State Kurt Browning said he would appeal the preliminary injunction."This law is perfectly consistent with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and in my view the Legislature appropriately enacted this important anti-fraud provision as part of Florida’s Election Code.”

The plaintiffs -- including the Florida State Conference of the NAACP, the Haitian-American Grassroots Coalition, and Southwest Voter Registration Education Project --  said the law disproportionately disqualifies minorities. Among the reasons: the use of two surnames by many Hispanic and Haitian voters cause confusion and mismatches in voter databases.

Representing the plaintiffs was the Advancement Project, a Washington-based, civil rights group, and New York University's Brennan Center for Justice.

Comments

Obviously a liberal judge who wants to enable voter fraud to greatest extent possible. What possible legitimate excuse could he have for disallowing a a simple identification requirement to prevent mass voter fraud, but no he wants to be sure voters can vote democrat as often as possible. And of course he wants help all those illegal aliens vote too, just because its not their country doesn't mean they shouldn't be allowed to elect its leaders, right "judge". Why should legal citizens have all the fun? This sorry excuse for a judge should be impeached. He supports anarchy.

[UF Alumni]

so making sure you are who you claim to be before you vote is illegal... thats logical. got to love those judges in Gainesville

It doesn’t really matter in the long run. We haven’t “Elected” someone since the planned, executed, and successful transformation to a Computerized Corporate Appointment System… err… Computerized Voting System. Unless of course you believe they envisioned, invented, and manufactured them in three weeks.

Judge Bars Florida Voter ID Law
...

Good! Justice moving forward.

[Ronnie]

"In a win for voting rights groups" Does this tell us where the St. Pete Times sits on this issue? I believe in voting rights for legal voters. Of course, I believe that you should also have to provide an ID to prove who you are. I guess I can't be in a "voting rights group."

[Paul D. Harvill]

Your objection is not relevant to the litigation. You are going up the wrong tree.

[Paul R. Harvill]

Paul D Harvill or whoever you D are you are the wrong tree you idiot. What is relevent is the intent and effect of the law. It doesn't deprive anyone of a right to exercise their vote, but invalidating it does enable those who want to corrupt the vote by giving them the tools they need to do so. You are a big D jerk and this crack-pot (or crackhead) judge will get reversed. These laws have continuously been upheld. The judge/emperor is wearing no clothes.

[Buzz]

Why doesn't the article start out, "In a loss for protecting the integrity of the vote count in the next election . . ." or "In a win for enablers of voter fraud . . ."? Its because when democrats enable voter fraud its a win for voting rights because democrats think its their right to cheat at elections to manipulate the outcome. Thats why love leaders like Sadam Hussien and Hugo Chavez (and lets not forget Al Gore - who still thinks he won the election because he should have been able to steal it)

Hey this is great for minorities who dont have a licence.Especially good for Duval Co Minorities who couldnt vote in 2000 because they were closing the polls.Jason Straight.

[Gene Smith]

I would have bet "voter fraud" would be one of the very first things we'd see on this blog.

What everyone should understand is that the phrase "voter fraud" is no more than a code phrase for the Republican Party's unrelenting effort to suppress the minority (and presumably Democratic) vote. To think these people actually care about free and fair elections is a very sick joke. They care about winning and will do anything to get what they care about.

So you shouldn't be required to prove that you are who you say you are when voting? Gene, tell me how this makes sense...

And your elitist, liberal, racist colors show when you presume that minorities will vote MoveOn.org-Democrat.

[Manuel Yip]

Is bery important I vote again in Miami. Proving is me will stop me from voting. Why should dead people not vote?

the goppers are still trying to reinstitute a poll tax, no matter what they call it!!

[Paul D. Harvill]

Posted by: Paul R. Harvill | December 18, 2007 at 09:22 PM
............................

Thank you for your very kind words.

[Will]

gene and paul,

Its very simple, if you cant prove who you are, you shouldnt vote. EVERY country except ours has that law.

Your argument is seriously flawed.