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We can create a Florida that is more just, more equal, and more free
Florida presents an ever-changing political landscape. One only needs to study Florida outcomes in general elections the past 20 years to confirm that. What doesn’t change is the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida’s commitment to civil liberties, social justice and citizen participation in our state, despite shifting political winds. We don’t back candidates […]
Count every vote: Patience is a Democratic virtue
In an unprecedented year, it’s only natural that we have an unprecedented election. It’s the first in most of our lifetimes to occur during a global pandemic, and one in which an unprecedented number of ballots, in Florida and nationwide, will be cast after being mailed to voters. While we’re accustomed to watching results on […]
ACLU of FL: Three proposed amendments on Nov. 3 ballot ‘endanger Floridians’ civil liberties’
Whether voting by mail or in person in the coming election, Floridians will see six proposed amendments to the state Constitution that they will get to vote on, up or down. The ACLU of Florida believes three of those measures — 1, 3, and 4 — endanger Floridians’ civil liberties and strongly urges voters to […]
One great voting rights victory in a long, long battle
Many people take their right to vote for granted. But winning the right to vote for as many U.S. adult citizens as possible has been a never-ending battle since this country was founded. After the American Revolution, states generally granted voting rights only to land-owning or tax paying white males. Voting rights gradually expanded during […]
ACLU: Gov. Ron DeSantis keeps flip-flopping on a crucial voting rights issue
For months, Gov. Ron DeSantis has claimed to support voter restoration, but everything he’s done until this point has undermined the goal of ensuring all Floridians have equal access to the ballot box. After the passage of Amendment 4 in November 2018, which restored the right to vote to as many as 1.4 million returning […]
Homestead: Close the detention prison for good — it’s a human rights catastrophe and a moral abomination
On Aug. 6, I and other representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) toured the Temporary Emergency Influx Shelter in Homestead, where undocumented migrant children had been detained. We expected to see how the children were treated, in hopes of bringing some accountability to a place that has avoided public oversight. But, according to […]
Threats to our voting rights come from outside and within Florida
As the 2020 presidential election approaches, our state faces numerous challenges to a free and fair voting process. Some challenges may come from outside our country; we know of attempts by Russian operatives to hack election systems in at least two Florida counties in 2016, and we can expect more such actions. But when it […]
We celebrate the birth of our nation but not the latest assault on our principles
Today we celebrate the Fourth of July and the 243rd anniversary of our nation. Ours is a country founded on the principles of freedom and self-determination. It took some time – and the passage of many amendments and federal intervention – to address the suppression of the vote of Black people and women. But we […]