Governor Rick Scott’s decision to block students at the University of Florida from voting at the Reitz Student Union has drawn sharp criticism from some Democratic lawmakers and the president of the League of Women Voters, Deirdre Macnab. At issue is a recent interpretation by the governor’s administration that the Reitz Union on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville isn’t an acceptable location for early voting.
“Governor Scott and state elections officials seem once again to be trying to suppress the vote of university students and other Floridians. I urge him to stop laying roadblocks to voting. The governor should do more to encourage, not discourage, voting among young people who are interested and engaged citizens,” said House Democratic Leader Perry Thurston (D-Fort Lauderdale).
Rep. Janet Cruz (D-Tampa), Democratic Ranking Member, was also critical of the decision, stating: “To promote student participation in elections and to be consistent with the Legislature’s intent to encourage early voting at community centers, I would hope that state officials quickly revisit their decision regarding early voting at the Reitz Union.”
“It is jaw dropping to consider that we wouldn’t open up the student union, the student library and other buildings on campus to make it easier for our leaders of tomorrow to start their civic duty of voting. One can only be left with the impression that the Florida Legislature, Governor and Secretary of State would frankly prefer to discourage student participation,” said Deirdre Macnab, president of the League of Women Voters, the tampabay.com reported.
The union, named for former UF President J. Wayne Reitz, is regularly used as a voting precinct in county, state and national elections.
