Video: Protestors Call for Voting Reform
Dozens of concerned voters are calling on lawmakers to make it easier for Floridians to vote.
Photos
Videos
Concerned citizens rallied across Florida Tuesday, calling for more early voting days, amendment caps and a uniform voting policy across the state.
Kofi Hunt with Awake Pinellas joined the effort to send the message to lawmakers at a rally in front of Florida State Senator Jeff Brandes' office on Fourth Street North in St. Petersburg. The protest was one of about two dozen rallies that took place in several cities during the first day of the legislative session.
"The problem is, we had the longest lines in the country, we had the longest waits in the country. The problem is 200,000 people didn't vote because they didn't think they had time," Hunt said.
Concerned citizens say Florida's voter laws are too restrictive.
"This last election was terrible. People were standing in line for 8 hours. They should allow people to change their address on election day. Some people move a few miles, maybe they can't vote in the same legislative district, but they should be able to vote for governor in a statewide election," St. Petersburg resident Tom Tito said.
Watch our video above to hear more from voters in St. Petersburg.
What do you think, St. Pete: Should lawmakers change voters laws?
Sign up for the St. Pete Patch email newsletter to get more top headlines and breaking news delivered to your inbox.
Steve
6:11 am on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
What remains untouched in this protest is the blatant Gerrymandering which the Republicans in Tallahassee undertook AFTER a statewide ballot intiative mandating reasonable voting districts took place and passed. The result: both houses of the legislature AND Florida's delegation in the US House of Representatives were packed--against voters' wishes. Among others, Bill Young benefited immensely from this illegal redistricting. The only choices are to take them to court OR vote the entire slew of them out and start fresh.
Kurt Donley
11:19 am on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Also don't forget the 503,000 African American Floridians that are disqualified to vote due to felony disenfranchisement laws even though they paid their debt to society. "Southern Strategy" = New Jim Crow and is live and well in Florida!
Patriot
12:23 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
I support the felony disqualification law....if you know the punishment going into a crime....well...end of conversation. I do find it interesting however that you focus on 503,000 Blacks. Surely some other folks broke the law...
Patriot
12:25 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
I ran into no lines, never do at my precinct in Pasadena. I do agree that Gerrymandering is a big problem, and not just in Florida.
Kofi Hunt
5:26 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Patriot, voting is a right not a privilege. We established that with the creation of the first Jim Crow laws. You may not have experienced them but, facts are facts, Florida had the longest lines and wait times in the country. Tallahassee made our elections a joke and they deserved to be admonished for it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/05/us/politics/waiting-times-to-vote-at-polls-draw-scrutiny.html?_r=0
Craig Glaser
5:41 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
I am happy Patriot ran into no lines on election day. Unfortunately that was not the case in other areas in Florida. In areas less affluent than Pasadena, lines lasted up to 6 housr according to all accounts. I am proud of Awake's proactive campaign for voter's rights.
Patriot
5:44 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
I expect Obama will legislate whatever policy provides for the Democrat vote. We know it's rigged anyway!
Bruce Nissen
6:01 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Facilitating the right to vote is so basic, so elementary, that all attempts to discourage and prevent voting by a demographic is downright awful. The message of this rally is a great one; congrats Awake Pinellas!