The Florida Civil Rights Association said Wednesday that, the U.S. Department of Justice has contacted the organization about the federal complaint filed with U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder last month seeking a federal investigation into Florida Election debacle that unfairly targets African-Americans and Hispanics for discrimination. Although the complaint addresses the voter suppression efforts against blacks and Hispanics, the Florida Civil Rights Association made known how all Floridians were negatively impacted by Florida Election Law.
“We are pleased that the Justice Department showed interest in our federal election complaint filed against the State of Florida,” said J. Willie David, III, the organization’s president. “Florida election problem is systemic, it is not isolated and it should be aggressively pursued by federal officials.” The Florida Civil Rights Association calls Florida “the voter suppression capital of America” for its relentless and discriminatory attacks on African-Americans and Hispanics voting rights.
In addition, the federal complaint alleges that Florida failed to provide adequate polling locations for early voting and on Election Day, Governor Rick Scott refused to issue an emergency order to extend early voting hours and Florida’s election law is a “pathway to racially profile voters” and “creates barriers at the polls to discourage people from voting.”
Since the filing of the federal complaint, several news reports revealed that when it comes to voting in Florida, not every polling place is created equally, especially for African-Americans and Hispanics. Reports of unequal polling locations across Florida is certainly the type of information the Florida Civil Rights Association would like to see the U.S. Department of Justice investigate, stated David.
After reading these news accounts, Officials at the Florida Civil Rights Association has widened its voting rights investigation to also cover Orange and Osceola counties, David said. Our investigation will also focus on the closing of a Winter Park precinct due to an alleged bomb threat, David added.
“The Voting Rights Act empowers the U.S. Department of Justice to combat disenfranchisement and vote suppression, and that authority should be used to fight the Florida election crisis,” David said. “It’s time for the Justice Department to deploy federal officials to these hotbed counties with a history of unequal polling locations that discriminate against African-Americans and Hispanics.”
Attorney Kyan Ware, the organization’s spokesman and legal affairs chairman will head-up our investigation and communication with Officials at the U.S. Department of Justice.
