Spotlight on Election Reform in Florida!
Learn about election reform issues, advocacy, and legislative goals
The League of Women Voters of Florida promotes electoral reforms that make voting easy, equitable, and effective at expressing public will through election results. We oppose gerrymandering, that is, manipulation of election district boundaries to favor one party or class. We advocate for fair, transparent redistricting. We are interested in any issue or process that directly affects any Florida citizen’s access to voting (e.g., voter registration, voting machines, ballot design, etc).
Florida’s 2018 Election provided evidence that Florida election systems need reform through additional legislation. League priorities for election law include process changes to avoid existing vote-by-mail ballot problems, to allow same-day voter registration, to standardize ballot design, and to support an open primary election system.
The League continues to be an active supporter of proper implementation of 2018’s Amendment 4, which restored voting rights to former felons who have completed their entire sentence, except for those convicted of murder or felony sex offenses.
Election Law Legislative Priorities
- Support automatic registration (opt-out system), same-day voter registration, and improved online voter registration.
- Extend deadlines for signatures cures, recounts and postmark delays caused by the postal service. Support a standardized ballot design and state funding for hardware and software to improve the recount process in close elections.
- Support home rule for counties and municipalities and oppose any preemptive legislation to counter home rule.
- Support statewide use of an Open Primary election system that allows for the broadest possible voter participation.
- Support the election of the President and Vice President by direct popular vote via the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact
Looking for more?
For more resources about voter restoration and registering disenfranchised voters, CLICK HERE.
If you are interested in CLE-credit training for lawyers or volunteers willing to help returning citizens obtain their voting rights, CLICK HERE.
CLICK HERE to see a short video about how our resources Vote411.org will provide you with personalized election information.
To request your Vote-By-Mail Ballot and to check your voter registration status in Florida, CLICK HERE.
Restoration of Rights
Florida’s 2018 Amendment 4 was approved by more than 63% of the Florida electorate. The constitutional amendment granted the right to vote to former felons (know as Returning Citizens) in Florida (except murderers or felony sex offenders) who have completed their sentences. Related legislation, Florida Senate Bill 7066 (SB 7066), was signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis in June 2019.
The League believes that SB 7066 does not fully comply to what the voters decided upon. Following a long court battle over SB 7066, the League of Women Voters of Florida has created a two part training course for lawyers, often known in the legal field as a Continuing Legal Education (CLE) for lawyers who are interested in helping Returning Citizens modify their sentences so that the requirement to pay all financial obligations is no longer a barrier.
The CLE courses train lawyers so that they can attempt to modify sentences and convert the financial obligations to community service or have them excused altogether. The Florida Bar has approved each League CLE for two hours of CLE credit. This is a great free benefit to Florida attorneys! CLICK HERE to learn more about our CLE trainings.
The League is also working closely with a number of reentry programs to provide resources and voting information pertaining to Returning Citizens to the program participants. Our partners, Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC), have all of their volunteer lawyers take our League CLE before they can work with the FRRC. Thus, our CLE is helping with both the Fines and Fees Program and the Sentence Modification program.
To support our efforts of helping recently re-enfranchised citizens be able to have their voice heard, please CLICK HERE to DONATE and notate “Returning Citizens Outreach” within the donation pages “in honor/memory of” section.
Ways to get involved with this issue:
Join a LWVFL Voter Registration Drive!
LWVFL Voter Services include voter registration drives, candidate forums, public informational meetings and voter guides.
Because of the sensitive nature of voter registration in Florida, LWVFL requires that volunteers who register voters on our behalf MUST be League members.
If you are a League member and would like to participate in this drive, please contact us for more information.
Join the LWVFL Election Reform Team!
You must be a member of the League of Women Voters of Florida or one of our Local Chapters to participate, please become a member
Latest on Election Reform
from the LWVFL
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League of Women Voters of Florida Sues State For Restricting & Penalizing Voter Engagement Efforts
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League of Women Voters of Florida Denounces Final Passage of Anti-Voter Election Package (Senate Bill 7050)
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LWV of Florida, NAACP Florida State Conference File Suit Over Florida’s Flawed Voter Registration Form
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LWV of Florida, Other Voting & Civil Rights Organizations Pen Letter to Legislature on Senate Bill 7050/House Bill 7067
Additional resources
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Issue History & Study in Action
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