Florida Rising Together, a non-profit organization, has filed a federal lawsuit challenging Florida’s voter registration verification process, arguing that it disproportionately disenfranchises Black voters.
The lawsuit claims the state’s “exact match” requirement, which relies on federal databases known for inaccuracies, creates unnecessary barriers for eligible voters.
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According to the lawsuit, over 43,000 individuals have been unable to register to vote since 2018 due solely to this requirement. The group contends that the process exacerbates historical and ongoing racial discrimination in voting access in Florida.
The state’s process “is compounded by a legacy of historic and deliberate disenfranchisement and interacts with the effects of racial and economic discrimination in access to the ballot that continue to plague Florida,” the lawsuit said. “Taken together, the ‘exact match’ protocol denies Black and other voters of color an equal opportunity to register to vote and participate in Florida’s political process and is a leading reason why voter registration applicants do not successfully make it onto Florida’s voter rolls.”
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Florida Rising Together is represented by a coalition of legal organizations, including Advancement Project, Community Justice Project, the Dechert LLP firm, and Florida A&M University Law School professor Mark Dorosin.
The lawsuit aims to reform the voter registration process and ensure equal voting access for all eligible Floridians.
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