Florida Democrats Call for House Investigation into New Voting Laws

U.S. Reps. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar, Corrine Brown, D-Jacksonville, Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, Frederica Wilson, D-Miami, and Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, are among 39 House members to sign a bill seeking an investigation into new voting laws.

The letter echoes the ongoingcall for a similar investigation from U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Orlando.

"As you know, the right to vote is guaranteed by the Constitution and a cornerstone of our democracy. We should be making it easier for Americans to vote, not harder," the letter sent Nov. 9 to the House Committee on the Judiciary stated.

"Over 30 states have enacted or attempted to enact laws that will create barriers to voting, among them: Floridas HB 1355, signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott, limiting access to the polls for minorities, seniors and college students, as well as limiting early voting days and imposing new restrictive regulations on voter registration groups; Alabama requiring proof of citizenship and government-issued photo identification in order to vote, and Texas having similar voter ID requirements; Maine eliminating same-day registration; and Wisconsin requiring voters to show a government photo identification card at a polling station before they can vote.

The Voting Rights Act is the primary tool used to protect voters from these kinds of political exploitations. Designed to enforce the 14th and 15th amendments (to) the Constitution, the act covers a vast range of activities that affect voters. According to the Supreme Court, determining whether a voting-related change is in violation of the Voting Rights Act is contingent upon whether the change 'would lead to a retrogression in the position of racial minorities with respect to their effective exercise of electoral franchise.'Simply put, the aforementioned laws that have been enacted by states all across our nation seriously undermine the rights of voters.

Congress has the constitutional authority to act to protect the rights of all voters. In the face of voter suppression laws being enacted across the nation, Congress must determine the extent of the problem and provide appropriate remedies. Despite years of progress, inequities and obstacles still remain. We must work together to strengthen our nations democracy and ensure that the voting rights of all Americans are protected. Again, we respectfully request that committees hold a hearing to address this extremely important matter."