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Friends — voting isn't just a right; it's our civic duty.
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But this National Voter Registration Day, I'm acutely aware of the barriers that anti-democracy Republicans have put in place to keep us from fulfilling that duty:
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- Purging thousands of voters — especially voters of color — from the rolls
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- Reducing ballot drop box numbers and accessibility
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- Introducing more stringent voter ID requirements, including proof of U.S. citizenship
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- Establishing drastically higher requirements and criminal penalties for third-party Get Out The Vote organizations
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Thanks to the anti-democratic agenda they've enacted, Florida has the fifth-lowest rate of registered eligible voters nationwide.
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It gets worse: After voters supported a 2018 ballot initiative to restore voting rights to over one million Floridians with felony records, the legislature passed a law requiring them to pay all fees and fines related to their case in order to regain eligibility, or face further criminal prosecution if they vote mistakenly.
This effectively disenfranchised about 800,000 people, disproportionately Black Floridians, who otherwise could have made their voices heard.
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Laws like these, and our severely gerrymandered map, mean that Ron DeSantis and his far-right legislative supermajority don't even have to hide their ultimate intention: suppressing voters to consolidate their power.
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So in a race this close, ahead of a historic election that will decide Senate control and the future direction of our state and our country, I have to ask:
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Are you registered to vote? Are you sure?
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If so, I strongly recommend you verify your registration here, and do so on a yearly basis. And if you're a Florida resident that hasn't registered yet, you have until Monday, Oct. 7 to change that.
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To register to vote in Florida, you must be a U.S. citizen with Florida residence, at least 18 years of age (but 16-year-olds can pre-register), and have a reliable mailing address. The application process can be done:
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- By mail by printing registration forms (in English or Spanish) and returning them to your local Supervisor of Elections office
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Unlike my opponent, I'm not in this race because I can buy my way into power. I'm running to fight for Florida in the Senate and to get the results working families have waited on Rick Scott to deliver for far too long. But I can't make that happen without the people of Florida showing up at the ballot box.
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Knowledge is power — so now, friend, I'm counting on informed grassroots supporters like you to spread it and build our movement statewide.
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Share this information with your family and friends, make sure you're still registered, and together this November, we can and we will flip Florida blue.
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Thank you,
Debbie
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