Congressional hearing examines Fla. voting law

[Judi Lynn]

Congressional hearing examines Fla. voting law
6:22 PM, Jan. 27, 2012

TAMPA -- A new voting law passed by the Republican controlled Florida Legislature last year will suppress the turnout of Democratic voters in the critical swing state, according to election experts and critics who testified in a congressional hearing Friday.

Democratic Sens. Bill Nelson of Florida and Dick Durbin of Illinois conducted the congressional field hearing to examine the effects of the law, which Republicans contended would stem voter fraud. Critics argue that it was designed to suppress voting by minorities, the elderly and young people who tend to vote Democratic.

Testimony centered on the sections of the law that cut the number of early voting days, put new restrictions on organizations that conduct voter registration drives, required voters who change out-of-county addresses at the polls on Election Day to cast provisional ballots, and reduced the shelf life of citizen initiative petition signatures from four to two years.

Lawsuits have been filed challenging those elements of the law, which are also being reviewed by a three-judge U.S. District Court panel in Washington.

More:
http://www.news-press.com/article/20120127/NEWS0107/120127038/Congressional-hearing-examines-Fla-voting-law-?odyssey=nav%7Chead

[sakabatou]

1. They always try and pull of this BS

[groundloop]

2. "Voter Fraud" my ass. Greater chance of being hit by lightning.

It's so damned obvious they want to make sure that more of the "right" people vote and fewer undesirable people vote. What's the incentive for someone to go stand in line for a half hour to cast a ballot? It's not like there's a hundred dollars waiting for everyone at the end of the line.

If these repuke politicians were truly interested in our democracy, as they claim, they'd be making it easier to register and vote with ideas like instant registration at the polling place, etc. etc.