https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/americandemocracyminute/episodes/2022-05-04T09_29_08-07_00

Today’s links for more information and action:
Georgia:   Voting rights group All Voting is Local
Florida:  League of Women Voters Florida
Arizona:  ACLU Arizona

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping your government by and for the people.

We have freedom to vote updates from Arizona, Georgia and Florida today.  

First an update on Georgia voter suppression bill SB 441, which authorizes the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to pursue allegations of election misconduct, rather than election officials.  Governor Brian Kemp signed the bill, despite concerns from voting rights groups that such actions are intimidating to black and brown communities who have a shaky relationship with law enforcement already.  

Florida’s SB 524, signed last week by Governor Ron Desantis, also deploys an election police force, but other provisions of SB 524 are on hold, pending a federal court case filed by the League of Women Voters Florida.   The Florida Secretary of State said that changes to the use of drop boxes for mail-in ballots, and penalties third-party voter registration groups if they make mistakes,await the federal court’s decision, and will not be enforced in the meantime.

Arizona’s HB 2338 advanced out of a Senate rules committee last week, which implements more rules on the use of drop boxes, mandating 24 hour video surveillance for drop boxes not inside a government building.  The expense of these drop box restrictions around the US most often disproportionately affects majority minority communities where fewer drop boxes create transportation challenges for voters, and Native American voters, where distance and the lack of postal services make it more difficult to deliver ballots.

Links to organizations in Florida, Georgia and Arizona where you can take action are on our website, AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.

Granny D said, “Democracy is not  something we have, it’s something we DO.” 

For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.