FDP Chairman Smith and Democratic Leadership Rally Against GOP Attempts to Suppress Voting Rights

Nearly 500 supporters in attendance for “Our Voice, Our Vote” rally

Tampa, FL – Today, Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith and Democratic Party leadership joined with nearly 500 community activists to rally against the GOP’s voter suppression law. The law, passed last spring by Gov. Rick Scott and the Republican-led legislature, is currently under review by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The “Our Voice, Our Vote” rally took place outside the courthouse where a congressional hearing, held by U.S. Senators Bill Nelson and Dick Durbin, examined the impact of the new voting law now taking effect in Florida.

“With nearly 1 million Floridians out of work, the Governor and Republican-led legislature have chosen to restrict our right to vote instead of keeping their promise to create jobs,” said Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith. “It’s time to focus on helping Floridians, not hindering them at every turn. It is time to stop playing politics with the right to vote.”

“The GOP rammed through this dangerous and transparent voter suppression law aimed directly at making it harder for Floridians to vote,” said State Representative Mark Pafford, who introduced a bill to repeal the GOP’s voter suppression law. “They may have the power in Tallahassee but they don’t have the power in our communities. This is our voice, our vote. We will not be silent.”

Last spring, Gov. Scott and the Republican-led legislature rammed through a dangerous and transparent voter suppression law aimed directly at making it harder for Floridians to vote. They are criminalizing voter registration, virtually putting the League of Women Voters out of business and disenfranchising thousands of young voters and college students by preventing people from changing their address at the polls. The GOP has also made it more difficult for hard-working Floridians to vote by shortening the number of days and hours for early voting.

Smith continued, “Of all our rights, the right to vote is the most sacred. Women and minorities fought to get it and our soldiers fight to protect it. Playing politics with voting needs to stop and it needs to stop now.”

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