Court Rejects Early Voting Restrictions in Five Counties
Friday, August 17, 2012
By: Trimmel Gomes

August 17, 2012 | WMFE - A Federal court has rejected Florida's new election law that shrinks the period for early voting in the state. Voting rights groups have long argued that the state's new voting law was meant to suppress minority votes.

Last year, Florida’s Republican controlled legislature cut the number of early voting days from twelve to eight days as part of wide ranging changes to the state’s election laws.
Baylor Johnson with the ACLU of Florida says it’s become a common tactic in a number of states this year.
“It’s clearly targeting minorities which is why we have and why congress renewed and why we continue to need the voting rights act to prevent state government from interfering with the constitutional rights of minorities.” Johnson said.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said the new early voting periods will not be in effect in five Florida counties. Those counties, Collier, Hardee, Hendry, Hillsborough and Monroe counties, are under federal supervision because they have a history of discriminating against African-American and other minority voters.

The court ruled that evidence in the case clearly shows black voters utilize early voting much more than white voters do. The ruling does not affect the new rules in the other 62 counties meaning that Florida could have two sets of voting rules for the upcoming presidential election.