Per the Palm Beach Post and other sources - the U.S. Department of Justice precleared Florida’s redistricting efforts (State and Federal) under Section 5 of the Federal Civil Rights Act. The submitals for preclerance are online at the State’s Redistricting website. In Leon County (Tallahassee) Circuit Court, a judge also denied Motions for Summary Judgment...
The Florida Supreme Court today, in an opinion, approved the Florida Senate’s second attempt at a redistricting map. “In the prior proceeding, this Court directed the Legislature to adopt a new joint resolution of legislative apportionment conforming to the judgment of the Court. Pursuant to this Court‘s directive, the Legislature adopted a revised Senate apportionment plan...
The State of Florida Division of Elections has apprently decided to “rank” the State’s 67 Supervisors of Elections and published a survey put online by the Tampa Bay Times. TBT and the AP (via News-Press.com) are reporting that this survey has angered the Supervisors and prompted questions as to its purpose.
The Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald are reporting that a Leon County Circuit Judge has ruled against former Sen. Nancy Argenziano in her bid to have Florida’s 1 year restriction on changing political party affiliation deemed unconstitutional. Leon County’s Clerk usually posts their high profile orders online, once it’s available I’ll add a...
The litigation related to last year’s changes to Florida’s election laws continues, here are some status updates from Politico and from a website associated with the Plaintiffs in the case: Brennan Center Many of the filings in the case are also available online at ther Mortiz College of Law site. And if you need...
The Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights conducted a field hearing in Tampa today on Florida’s 2011 election law changes. The Subcommittee’s webpage has the printed witness testimony (links on the right side of the subcommittee page). The Tampa Bay Times and Bay News 9 (video) provide local...
With the Presidential Preference Primary on January 31st (plus many local elections on the same ballot) – the State has posted a list of all early voting sites and hours.
Florida is a “Closed Primary” state, meaning only voters who are registered members of the political party holding a primary election can vote in that primary election. Some cities, counties, and special districts, however, are also using the Presidential Preference Primary date to conduct other elections, such as referendums and other ballot measures. For...
In a letter this week, posted online by the Tampa Tribune, Sen. Dick Durbin responded to Sen. Bill Nelson’s request that the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights investigate HB1355 by agreeing with Nelson’s concerns and stating he will conduct a field hearing in Florida. No date for the...
A surprising development in the preclearance saga of HB1355, the State has filed a First Amended Complaint seeking to have the court declare the preclearance obligation in Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional. To recap my past posts on this topic: under the Federal Voting Rights Act, the State of Florida has to...