Tallahassee, Fla. – The League of Women Voters of Florida welcomes the dissolution of President Donald Trump‘s commission to investigate voter fraud, but the group today said it remains vigilant in the face of other potential threats to the voting rights.
“The League of Women Voters of Florida, as it has for 80 years, will vigorously protect and defend the voting rights of Floridians from threats wherever they originate — whether it be from Tallahassee or Washington D.C.,” said Pamela Goodman, President of the LWV of Florida. “Our right to vote is sacred and cherished.”
Last May, after alleging widespread voter fraud in the 2016 elections, President Trump created the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, which resulted in immediate public controversy. One major criticism was its composition: commissioners included known advocates of voter suppression, and the chair and vice-chair were from the same party.
After months of criticisms from both Republicans and Democrats and lawsuits to stall the illegal handover of private voter information, the president signed an executive order disbanding the Commission last night. Subsequent statements make clear, however, that President Trump and his allies intend on pursuing these claims of voter fraud through other means, including through the use of the Department of Homeland Security.
Myrna Pérez of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law and frequent counsel to the Florida League said, “The League is on the front lines of protecting the right to vote in Florida. We are proud to partner with them in these efforts and will join them in standing up against any attempts to suppress voters’ rights.”
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