In the latest effort to chip away at the controversial elections bill approved last year, a group of black Democrats announced Friday that they would look to amend a new elections measure in the Senate (SB 1596) in an effort to extend early voting.
The amendment — sponsored by Sen. Chris Smith, D-Fort Lauderdale — would allow counties to offer early voting on the Sunday before an election, when black churches often sponsor “souls to the polls” events.
Smith suggested the measure shouldn’t affect the anti-fraud motivation purportedly behind last year’s elections overhaul.
“If fraud is going to happen, it’s not going to suddenly happen the last Sunday before the election,” Smith said.
The measure was available for the Senate to consider Friday, but the chamber didn’t take it up before adjourning for the day.
