With Republicans around the country tightening voting regulations in a way that — arguments over (typically exaggerated) fraud and suppression aside — will likely advantage their party, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has stepped out of its usual legal lane to file a formal comment to the Department of Justice, urging him to object to Florida’s new law.
The Department of Justice, under the Civil Rights Act, must “preclear” changes to voting laws, and Florida si the first to come its way.
“The DSCC sees it as no coincidence that the Republican-dominated Florida Legislature would institute voting changes that will disparately affect minority voters in an election year when suppressing the minority vote likely will help Republican candidates,” executive director Guy Cecil and general counsel Marc Elias write in the letter, addressed to voting rights section chief Chris Herren. “But under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, minority voting rights cannot be bartered in the course of political gamesmanship.”
You can read the whole letter here.
Full Article: DSCC asks Justice to halt Florida voting law – Ben Smith – POLITICO.com.