FL TEACHER could face $$$ in fines-Her transgression? Helping students register to vote.

[kpete]

The teacher who heads up New Smyrna Beach High School's student government association could face thousands of dollars in fines. Her transgression? Helping students register to vote:



Prepping 17-year-olds for the privileges and responsibilities of voting in a democracy is nothing new for civics teachers, but when Jill Cicciarelli organized a drive at the start of the school year to get students pre-registered, she ran afoul of Florida's new and controversial election law.

Among other things, the new rules require that third parties who sign up new voters register with the state and that they submit applications within 48 hours. The law also reduces the time for early voting from 14 days to eight and requires voters who want to give a new address at the polls to use a provisional ballot.

Republican lawmakers who backed the rules said they were necessary to reduce voter fraud. Critics -- including U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, who testified before a congressional committee -- said the law would suppress voter participation.

http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/southeast-volusia/2011/10/23/new-florida-election-law-stirs-up-controversy.html
http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/if-youre-going-to-do-something-better.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[bluestateguy]

1. Sr. year I had a high school government teacher who gave extra credit for voting

You would have to bring in your precinct receipt on primary day or general election day and he would give you a few extra credit points.

That brought about a lot of squawking from the students who did not turn 18 by election day or primary day. To that the teacher basically said, too bad.

[joeglow3]

4. Shitty teacher

Too bad no one at the school had him punished for his clear and blatant prejudices. That disgusting behavior is not mitigated by the good of encouraging voter participation.

[Rebubula]

15. I disagree

That is all.

Encouraging kids to vote by any means necessary is a good thing.

[joeglow3]

18. So discrimination is good if it is for something we like?

Nice!!!!!

[Hestia]

6. We didn't get extra credit but I found out in the school office when I was asked when my bday is

and did I want to register? This is what schools are for, except for those I guess, who lived in their gated communities and only vote for the 'right' people. Please keep us apprised of this situation. I dearly hope she wins this case.

[timtom]

2. Punish the good - reward the evil

The bastards are going to do what they can to completely abase the rest of us. At least Sen. Nelson was against this.

[HockeyMom]

3. NYS Required Participation in Government class

Teachers cannot talk to students about how to register to vote? Um, this a MAJOR part of that NYS course. Voting is THE way to participate in government. Duh? In fact, many of the Seniors went out, registered to vote themselves, and voluteered to register other voters and help out at the polls. This class was all OUTSIDE CLASS work.

Keep the kids from knowing how government operates and you will have a very complacent state populace, who will vote REPBULICAN as good sheep.

Amazing the difference in Red and Blue states. Yes, Florida IS Red right now, and Scottie boy and his legislature is doing their best to keep it that way.

[RockaFowler]

5. That's strange

In 1989 when I registered to vote, they came to our school to register us. I remember registering in the gym before my 18th birthday. All of the Seniors that year did it if they wanted to. When did this become a problem?? What the heck happened to my state?? Oh yeah Repukes took it over :(

[FarCenter]

7. However, a Civics teacher should know the rules -- She gets an F

[sammytko]

10. I agree with you - a quick call to the elections office or a search on-line

would have been a good way to start.

The article did state that she would probably not get fined.

What is disturbing to me is what one student said:

"It may discourage some students (from registering) if it's more difficult," she said. "We're more apt to get involved, but (some students) won't go to the trouble if they think it's hard."

Too hard? Just read up on it - ya know - critical thinking comes into play.

[Hestia]

8. What aren't 18 y/o automatically registered when they hit that age?

Wouldn't that solve this problem? If they can find boys with the Selective Service, they can sure have kids automatically registered. Why is the burden with us and not on the gov't?

[lutefisk]

12. Because it is in the GOP's interest to suppress voting of certain groups- like the young

There are a number of groups, such as Common Cause and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, pushing for voter rights legislation, including automatic registration, but our one and a half party system keeps blocking what seems so logical and just.

:hi:

[a2liberal]

9. K&R (n/t)

[Uncle Joe]

11. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.

[gordianot]

13. Voter registration at school used to be a priority especially for persons with disabilities.

There was actually a Federal program that encouraged State Agencies to assist 18 year olds with disabilities to register to vote. Those were the days before right wing nut jobs occupied our State government. What have we come to?

[Initech]

14. So let me get this straight:

A principal in TN attacks a student for wanting to start a gay-straight alliance and a petition is needed in order to get him investigated, but in FL a teacher is facing huge fines for encouraging students to vote? I swear we live in backwards bizarro world sometimes! :crazy:

[Politicalboi]

16. If teachers would use this like a drug issue

Like the powers that be say this is "bad" for you. Never try this again. The kids will do the opposite, and register to vote because some say they can't.

[gratuitous]

17. Rules were instituted to reduce voter fraud? Really?

How many cases of voter fraud in Florida have been prosecuted since - oh let's pick an arbitrary year - 2000? Because I'd hate to be so cynical as to think that all these roadblocks to voting erected by Florida Republicans are designed to suppress, not enhance, voter turnout.

[quaker bill]

19. There have been 2 or 3 incidents

People who voted both absentee and in person. A pretty low rate when you consider the millions of ballots cast. - - - and they were caught.

[gratuitous]

20. Gosh, it sounds like . . .

It sounds like the laws they had in place in Florida were already working. I wonder why all these "enhanced" barriers to voting got thrown into the public's way? I mean, we've definitively ruled out that Florida Republicans are scumbag ballot riggers, so there has to be another explanation. Because if there isn't another explanation, we may have to rule back in what we've already ruled out. And I hate being hasty!

[quaker bill]

21. The actual place fraud occurs if at all

is with absentee ballots, and I don't think you have to show photo ID to get one. In the past, republican party operatives were known to show up with with a trunk load of them all filled out...