Our Voice
Our Florida
Building a Better
Democracy for All
April 21, 2025
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When it comes to voting, Florida elected officials love to toot our own horn, claiming we are the “Free State of Florida” and a gold standard in elections. What those officials don’t say is that just a few short years ago, we were the gold standard.
Now, Florida’s elected leaders are increasingly making it harder for eligible Florida voters to, well, vote. They are, in effect, picking their voters to ensure they remain in power. We’re seeing a perfect example of this playing out right now. House Bill 1381 is a terrible bill that will cause chaos and confusion for voters and election officials. It will make things especially hard for Florida’s seniors, students and rural voters. In fact, any eligible Florida voter with no valid passport or birth certificate that matches their current legal name could be kicked off the voter rolls.
Florida legislators were given an option to change that. In a strike-all amendment proposed in committee by Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis, they were given the ability to advance reforms that would help more eligible Florida voters access the ballot while maintaining the safety and security of our elections. They were given the option to move the Florida Voting Rights Act forward and once again make Florida the gold standard in elections. But legislators on the committee picked the bad option that makes voting harder for thousands.
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April 18, 2025
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While much of the spotlight in Washington has been on budget fights and new tariffs, the House passed a bill that could reshape how Americans register to vote. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act) would require voters to show proof of U.S. citizenship — such as a passport or birth certificate — in person when registering to vote or updating their voter registration. The measure now moves to the Senate, where Democrats have promised to block it.
Supporters of the SAVE Act argue the bill is needed to ensure noncitizens don’t vote in American elections. Studies and state level audits have found such cases are rare and only account for a tiny percentage of votes.
Republicans have long pushed for stricter laws to combat voting fraud, but experts warn the bill would undermine elections because millions of eligible Americans will face new barriers to voter registration. To understand the potential impact, NPR’s Michel Martin spoke with Sean Morales-Doyle, director of the Voting Rights and Elections Program at the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice, which opposes the legislation.
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State Voices Florida is a statewide civic engagement organization committed to bringing together progressive 501(C)(3) organizations to work together in building power around civic issues. If the progressive movement works together and speaks with one voice, great things will happen.
We believe everyone should have the right to vote, and voting should be simple and easy. We also support reproductive rights, environmental justice, criminal justice reform, economic justice and affordable housing for everyone.
Along with our partner organizations, we use data and technology, people-powered campaigns, and coalitions to collectively build a multiracial democracy that allows every Floridian to thrive and live in their full dignity. We are a member of the State Voices Affiliated Network, a network of state-based coalitions, advocates, and organizers fighting for a healthy, multiracial democracy.
We have over 100 partner organizations. They range from large national organizations with hundreds of employees to small nonprofits based out of a single county or even a single neighborhood. We provide support and tools to nonprofit partners regardless of size, to improve infrastructure while increasing capacity for all of our partners.
- Everyone deserves the ability to achieve their full potential and the freedom to be their truest selves. We envision a country in which this is a reality.
- BIPOC communities must be at the decision-making table because those most impacted by the problems have the best ideas for the solutions.
- Voting is an action we can take to achieve our shared vision—and casting a ballot should be easy and accessible to each voter. Every vote must count.
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