Friends,

Advancement Project National Office and our partners in Florida just scored a MAJOR victory in the fight for voting rights and access in Florida!

Today, voting rights advocates announced the details of a major legal settlement with the state of Florida, requiring the state to make voting changes amidst the coronavirus pandemic. We’ve been fighting since March to convince the state to make reasonable accommodations for voters during the current pandemic and to ensure free, fair and safe elections. We filed suit in March prior to the Presidential Preference Primary along with Demos, and LatinoJustice PRLDEF on behalf of Dream Defenders, New Florida Majority, and Organize Florida.

Victory at LAST! The terms of the settlement will increase access to voter registration, force the state to inform citizens of their options in casting a vote-by-mail ballot, encourage supervisors of elections to use funding options to provide pre-paid postage for mail-in ballots, and require the Secretary of State to develop and execute a public relations campaign to inform voters of their options in casting a ballot, especially among communities of color, college-aged voters and seniors. 

This settlement is a clear victory and a step forward for Black and Brown voters. The case highlighted how broken the Florida election system is, and what needs to be done to ensure that every Floridian can vote in during the 2020 election cycle.

Advancement Project National Office would like to dedicate this victory to the life and legacy of Congressman John Lewis, a civil rights icon who fought tirelessly for decades to ensure communities of color had access to the right to vote. This past weekend, we issued a statement on his passing and our Executive Director Judith Brown Dianis appeared on MSNBC to talk about the legacy he leaves behind.