Florida Voters May Use Numerous Forms of ID at Polls
Westside Gazzette, News Report, Hansen Sinclair, Posted: Jan 28, 2008
People wanting to vote early may be able to do so using an employee badge or buyers’ club card and forms of identification, in spite of new election laws that took effect Jan. 1 that eliminated their use.
In 2007, the Republican-laden Legislature restricted the types of photo IDs that voters could use, but the new law has been stalled because the U.S. Department of Justice has not signed off on the change as of yet.
Top election officials in Florida told election supervisors to ignore numerous voting law changes because federal authorities are still looking over them to see if and how they would affect minority voters negatively.
Florida has had issues in the past with discrimination against minority voters in five counties – Monroe, Collier, Hillsborough, Hendry and Hardee. Because of this, the federal government must sign off on any changes before they take effect.
The federal government can block the law from being instated in only those five counties, however, Florida law states that voting standards must be uniform throughout the state.
Sterling Ivey, spokesperson for Secretary of State Kurt Browning, said it is easier to keep all procedures the same until the federal government has made a final decision. The Department of Justice has until Jan. 25 to do so. The Florida primary is Jan. 29.
“If not approved, we don’t have to back track and implement anything else,” Ivey said.
There are 11 forms of ID – two of which are called into question; a buyers’ club card and employee badges – which voters can use at the polls. Other legitimate forms of ID include a driver’s license, student ID or U.S. passport.
“I’m glad to see they are taking measures to ensure fair voting in such an important election,” said Miami-Dade resident Irma Montgomery. “This election is too important for any state or county to mess up. It could be history in the making. We don’t want a recount and embarrass our-selves again.”
Voting discrimination 2000
In Volusia County, road-blocks were set up a few hundred yards from voting places. Police stopped cars and asked Black men to get out of their vehicles and produce identification.
School employees found ballot boxes stuffed with votes the morning after the election in at least four predominantly Black Miami-area schools, which had been used as polling places.
The boxes were then sent to elections officials.
In Hillsborough County, sheriff’s deputies checked voter IDs and claimed the race stated on the card didn’t match the race of the person standing in front of them.
“As long as everything is fair this time around we will have no complaints,” Montgomery said.
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