Florida County Eliminates Minority-Heavy Polling Places

[highplainsdem]

Source: ThinkProgress

On a party-line vote, a Florida county’s Republican majority Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to eliminate almost one-third of Manatee County’s voting sites. The board accepted a proposal by Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett (R) by a 6-1 vote to trim the number of precincts, despite unanimous public testimony against the move — and complaints by the lone Democratic Commissioner that it would eliminate half of the polling places in his heavily minority District 2.

Bennett, in his first term as elections supervisor, proposed reducing the number of Manatee County precincts from 99 to 69. Citing decreased Election Day turnout, as more voters switch to in-person early voting and vote-by-mail options, he told the commissioners that the move would save money and allow the county to offer more early voting sites in the future.

In the public comment section of the meeting, all ten speeches strongly opposed the move. Representatives of the local NAACP and Southern Christian Leadership Council warned that the cuts would decrease voter turnout because voters would have to travel further to a polling place, especially among the elderly and people without cars, and noted that the cuts disproportionately affected minority-heavy precincts. Bennett dismissed these concerns, noting that because District 2 had received “preferential treatment in the past,” even with the changes, his district will have the smallest number of voters per precinct. “It was overbalanced before, it’s overbalanced now.” Bennett also repeatedly noted that he had discussed the move with civil rights groups and both the Republican and “Democrat” Parties.

Bennett assured the commission that if lines are longer in 2014 as a result of these changes, he would ask them to revisit the decision in 2015, before the 2016 elections. But it is unclear whether voter accessibility is a sincere priority for him. In 2011, while serving in the Florida Senate, he endorsed making it hard to vote: “I wouldn’t have any problem making it harder. I would want them to vote as badly as I want to vote. I want the people of the state of Florida to want to vote as bad as that person in Africa who’s willing to walk 200 miles…This should not be easy.”

-snip-

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/02/11/3278101/florida-county-reduces-minority-precincts/

[katmondoo]

1. Cowards

Afraid of the vote. They can't win honestly.

[Faux pas]

2. Yep, "if you can't beat 'em

cheat 'em". (Quoting Rev Al)

[yeoman6987]

28. Why are people not voting?

The Democrats need to get people to the polls. I can't believe that 30 polling places are being closed due to non use. Democrats need to do a much better job at getting out the vote. 2014 people MUST vote.

[MynameisBlarney]

39. You don't believe

that anything the FL GOTP does or says regarding voting and elections is above board do you?

[kristopher]

3. I'd love to see a law...

...that would make it easy to convict politicians who engage in attempts to disenfranchise voters. And call it hypocrisy if you will, but the appropriate penalty would be to strip them of their voting rights for 10 years.

[Scuba]

4. If only this country had an Attorney General!

[Tarheel_Dem]

13. Let the bashing begin. The country does have an Attorney General. This vote just happened today.

[Scuba]

15. Well, I for one hope Holder is all over it.

[geek tragedy]

27. Holder has been excellent on this topic. nt

[Mojorabbit]

29. I hope so too! nt

[louis-t]

5. They just don't quit, do they?

[blackspade]

6. This Bennett guy is a scum bag.

[HockeyMom]

7. Never voting in person again in Florida

"Lookie here, we got ourselves a Democrat"! No. I will get an absentee ballot (again) and hand deliver it to the County Clerk and WATCH while they record it.

Sad, having to be two steps ahead of them. Voted 40 years in NYS and never gave it another thought.

[heaven05]

8. every years that passes

amerikkka gets more sickening and more racist. Disgusting. Disheartening and maddening. The republithugs can't keep disenfranchising people of their right to vote. But, it's florida, isn't it?

[Le Taz Hot]

26. "Amerikkka" isn't the entity committing

these atrocities. In this case, it's a section of Florida. If this happened in the blue parts of the Country (California, for example), people would take to the streets within hours. The ENLIGHTENED parts of the country moved past this shit decades ago.

[heaven05]

30. yeah, right!

Last edited Wed Feb 12, 2014, 01:58 PM - Edit history (1)

enlightened, tell that to someone living in a cave somewhere. Tell it to Trayvon, loud music victims of murder. Please AMERIKKKA is ALWAYS going to hold on to it's racist culture, 300 years and counting, duck dynasty, tea party, teddy the dip cruz, sarah palin anyone? And no one is taking to the streets except on Moral Mondays in North Carolina and the media is not reporting on that. So even if that 'blue part' you're talking about went to the streets, wouldn't matter. Decades ago????? STATE legislatures are restricting the vote not just city and county governments. If the RW get's back in national power, watch only land owning, billionaire and millionaire, white males having the vote and there wouldn't be a huge outcry as long as people have their Olympics and Super Bowls. Give me a break.

[Le Taz Hot]

31. . . .

Wasn't aware that this was just a rant.

Rant on.

[heaven05]

32. this is the cop out response

I get from all to whom reality bites. I glad you've found cave dwelling so enjoyable. Decades ago.

[Tripper11]

9. bonus extra quote from this asshole for you to enjoy

from the same article

In 2011, while serving in the Florida Senate, he endorsed making it hard to vote: “I wouldn’t have any problem making it harder. I would want them to vote as badly as I want to vote. I want the people of the state of Florida to want to vote as bad as that person in Africa who’s willing to walk 200 miles…This should not be easy.” He made that comment as he supported a voter suppression bill that reduced the number of days for early voting in Florida and helped create long lines across the state

*edited for typo

[freshwest]

21. What a Freudian slip. How about a 'I walked 10 miles to vote' example? No, had to go to Africa! n/t

[12ZTR]

10. Boycott..

all Republican family members,friends & businesses.

Once again. "When you get into someones wallet,you have their attention."

I wonder if this will ever get through so many thick skulls?

Maybe this might work. "The friend of my enemy is my enemy."

[onehandle]

11. Enemies of American Democracy. nt

[santamargarita]

12. Why can't the Federal Government step in or

NAACP, sue the bastards. Anything to stop these America hating racists!

[Tarheel_Dem]

14. Patience is called for. This vote just took place today. n/t

[okaawhatever]

50. They will. Lawsuits are already pending in most states. The problem is scotus. If the country

appeals the lawsuit it will take years to get to scotus. As you saw with the voting rights act, they would likely not find anything wrong with it. Because remember, according to the conservative Supreme Court Justice Roberts, "racism doesn't really exist in America anymore".

[santamargarita]

51. Thanks. I just hope SCOTUS doesn't get their grimey hands on it.

[Cryptoad]

16. This a common practice ,,,,

in the Red Moocher States.

Here where I live in Alabama..... you have to wait in line outside for hour of hours to votes in the minority precincts ... which it is fast and furious in the GOP precincts to vote

[freshwest]

22. It's apartheid created by the economically (white) advantaged society, is what it is! Dammit. n/t

[Bandit]

17. If Democrats don't start demanding "Vote By Mail" then they deserve to stand in long lines

"Vote By Mail" would solve so many of our problems, especially turn-out, and we all know if we could increase our turn-out Republicans would not have much of a chance.

[Freddie Stubbs]

24. Florida voters already have that option, but

if you look at the numbers, GOP voters tend to vote by mail in greater numbers than Democrats. Democrats are more apt to participate in early voting, in which a few polling places are opened throughout the county for about two weeks before election day.

[Isoldeblue]

43. Actually it is Dems that vote w/absentee ballots

more than repubs. That's why Scott shortened the time for AB this past election.

http://elections.mytimetovote.com/florida.html

[Freddie Stubbs]

52. It was early voting which was shortened, not absentee voting

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/federal-court-rules-florida-s-shortening-of-early-voting-discriminates-against-blacks

[Isoldeblue]

53. Isn't that what I actually f'in said?

Damn. Read my post again.....

"That's why Scott shortened the time for AB this past election. "

[Isoldeblue]

54. Both early voting & AB times were shortened and

it's still because Dems vote in higher numbers with AB and early voting than do repubs.

[Hestia]

48. The Churches seem to do a great job with GOTV - so maybe instead of driving their

members to the polls is to have a Bring Your Mail In Ballot and have a mass day for that. Do it around the IRS rules of church & state - if Republican churches can do stumping, then the Democratic church can do a Ballot Day.

Though there is nothing like voting in person, it's feels like it really counts.

[Solly Mack]

18. K&R

[frwrfpos]

19. the fuckstains cant win and they know they are unpopular

so they disenfranchise voters. And people think this country is evenly split...my ass..if the electronic voting shit and this shit was eliminated there wouldnt be a repuke party

[Tx4obama]

20. Kick n/t

[Enthusiast]

23. There you go.

How can we win under these circumstances?

[Le Taz Hot]

25. Unbelievable!

It's just blatant, isn't it? If I were a Floridian, I'd be taking to the streets about this. I hope, at some point, this happens. And how do all these racist Republicans keep getting elected anyway?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

33. Good

For two reasons.

First, I cannot think of anything that would spur voter interest more than the possibility that some old, white, fat, cigar-chomping, conservative ultra-christian, bible-beating jerk trying to take away my vote. Want to bet that buses, cars, and vans are arranged to bring the voters to the polls. Under normal conditions, voter interest might be tepid in 2014. But, threaten to take the vote away, even by simply making it harder to vote by closing polling stations? I am going to make it a point to vote.

Second, I wonder if these asshole GOPers have really thought this through. All they have done is to invite hundreds of thousands of black and hispanic voters to (horrors!) go into neighborhoods where they are not normally seen, and clearly not welcome. Lily white rich pockets with voting booths will suddenly have thousands of "those people" coming in to vote. I can't wipe the smile off my face when I think about how this will backfire on them.

[tosh]

42. Yes, the voter suppression efforts in Florida

backfired on the rethugs in 2012.

It was a beautiful thing to see and made national (MSM) news.

[whopis01]

34. I was in Manatee county once at the courthouse

As I am walking up I see they have an obelisk memorial outside the courthouse. It looks reminiscent of a miniature Washington Monument. I walk over to it to take a look and am greeted with the text reading:

1861 - 1865
Lest We Forget
Jefferson Davis

And I realize this is a monument to the confederacy and it's first president. Placed on the steps of the courthouse. If that isn't a message to minorities I don't know what is.

http://www.flpublicarchaeology.org/civilwar/monuments/in-memory-of-our-confederate-soldiers-bradenton/?appView=true

So this doesn't surprise me at all.

[Peacetrain]

35. There is a quick cure for this..

Organize and flood their polling places.. literally get buses to take people to those polling spots that are left open and be there before the polls open and stay in line do not leave till you get to vote..
You can take this one to the bank.. there will be a demand universally in the privileged areas to reopen the polling places closed..

[ChairmanAgnostic]

36. that's why I said good above.

You hit it right on the head.

Imagine those liver-spotted, Depends-wearing, old conservatives shocked to find all those "coloreds" in their neighborhood. VOTING, no less.

There is one potential problem, though. These idiots are crazy enough to pass other types of regulations, like banning buses and vans from transporting voters, because of "safety concerns" and threatening arrest of anyone who dares help someone get to a polling station.

[Peacetrain]

38. Good post! I missed it last time

I just came in and started typing.. good point too about trying to ban buses from other areas.. let the feds rain down on their heads then.. Sweet Jesus I never thought we would have to revisit all these things we thought we had cleared up in the 60's and 70's.. but the bigots and sexists etc.. the hatred runs deep with them.. but never ever ever going back to the la la land they want to live in..

[lunasun]

37. because they can't win without dirty tricks........

[sakabatou]

40. I hope to hell this gets reversed soon

[Left Coast2020]

41. I do to. But you guys/gals in FL. need to get Crist in as Governor

But as the saying goes, politics are local.

[blkmusclmachine]

44. The GOP knows they can't win elections on the merits. So they have to rig the system to "win."

[blkmusclmachine]

45. And our DEMS response will be:

[MrScorpio]

46. Republicans: Whenever they can't win fair and square, they invariably cheat nt

[olegramps]

47. How do we get more minority and low income citizens to vote?

If it could be accomplished the Republican Party would be history. It wouldn't matter if they Gerrymandered districts if all the lower income voters showed up at the polls. I have only heard this issued addressed by Democrats a few times. The Democrats should air commercials encouraging those who are the victims of Republican's campaign to destroy the working class to take the most effective action available: THEIR VOTE. The Democratic leadership should flood the radio and TV medias with the message that their lack of action is the primary reason for the economic stagnation. This applies to every election ranging from school boards where the Republicans have gained control with the intent of destroying Public Education. Their attack is two pronged in their determination to destroy the teachers' unions and create a for profit school system. It goes right up from these local elections from city government to state and federal.

[Incitatus]

49. One possible solution.

A door to door campaign, delivering addressed and stamped envelopes with vote by mail ballots. Along with information about how the Republicans are actively changing rules to prevent them from voting and the policies they support that hurt them like their attacks on social programs and workers' rights. Closing polling places, transportation and voter ID laws wouldn't matter if the voters don't even have to leave their house.