Contact Jennifer Dillon Managing Director of Communications
jdillon@advancementproject.org
Miami, Florida—Today on National Voter Registration Day, Florida Rising Together, represented by Advancement Project, Community Justice Project, Dechert LLP, and Associate Professor Mark Dorosin of Florida A&M Law filed suit against the Florida Secretary of State, Florida Attorney General and election supervisors in several Florida counties. The suit challenges Florida’s “exact match” voter verification process and alleges that it violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, and the U.S. Constitution. The “exact match” process, which uses computerized data matching to process voter registrations, has led to the rejection of tens of thousands of valid applications since 2018, with a disproportionate number of those rejected applications submitted by Black applicants.
The suit details that since 2018, more than 43,000 individuals who submitted valid voter registration applications to Florida election officials across 26 Florida counties, representing more than 80 percent of Florida’s registered voters, have never been able to successfully register due to the “exact match” requirement. In Miami-Dade County alone, over 41,000 applications were set aside as “unverified” and flagged for further action by the applicant due to data mismatch over this time period. In Miami-Dade, Broward, Duval, and Orange Counties, which have large Black populations, Black voter registration applicants have been rejected at a rate more than twice their share of the registrant pool, while white applicants are denied registration at a smaller fraction of their share of the electorate.
Because of the “exact match” requirement, election officials reject voter registration applications submitted by people who are eligible to vote. This process not only places the burden of verification on Black voters, it further disenfranchises Black eligible voters. increases the likelihood of preventing voters from voting at all.
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“Florida’s “exact match” verification process is just another tool of voter suppression. It’s an inaccurate, burdensome practice that creates extra hurdles for Black voters and violates federal law,” says Judith Browne Dianis, Executive Director of Advancement Project. “We will not allow Florida to cherry pick its voters nor set a dangerous example for other states. Every voter should have access to free and fair elections”
“Black voters know that their voice is their power. By allowing the “exact match” verification process, Florida officials deny tens of thousands of Black voters and other voters of color access to our democracy,” says Moné Holder, Chief Political & Advocacy Director at Florida Rising. “Voters deserve more than to experience blatant discrimination and oppression at the hands of Florida election officials.
“Florida’s “exact match” protocol, in practice, imposes a severe and unequal burden on Floridians’ fundamental right to vote,” says Angela Liu, a partner with Dechert. “We are committed to ensuring all eligible Florida voters, of every race, are able to register to vote, to vote and to have their votes counted.”
“Election officials owe all Florida voters free and fair elections. This means stopping the unlawful and racially discriminatory practice of the “exact match” verification requirement,” says Miriam Haskell, Senior Attorney & Director of Litigation at Community Justice Project.
Voting rights advocates recommend three steps necessary to remedy Florida’s violations: (1) stop rejecting voter registration applications based on a failure to meet “exact match” requirements (2) place otherwise eligible applicants on the rolls in active status if their voter registration application was denied solely due to a failure to satisfy the “exact match” requirement and (3) permit all applicants whose registrations were not accepted to have their ballots counted.
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Advancement Project is a cutting-edge, no-holds-barred national organization whose team members are dedicated to building local power in communities of color. Centered on a movement lawyering approach, defined as community-centered racial justice lawyering, Advancement Project supports grassroots organizations working to eliminate oppressive structures in our laws and institutions and shift narratives towards transformative change. By fighting for liberatory public education, protecting and expanding our right to vote, and supporting community-led public safety that affirm the dignity and humanity of people of color, Advancement Project advances real change from the ground up.
Florida Rising Together is a 501c3 organization dedicated to advancing economic and racial justice across the state by building power in historically marginalized communities. Our organization develops leaders that will help shift power so communities get to decide their own destinies.
Dechert is a global law firm that advises asset managers, financial institutions and corporations on issues critical to managing their business and their capital – from high-stakes litigation to complex transactions and regulatory matters. We answer questions that seem unsolvable, develop deal structures that are new to the market and protect clients’ rights in extreme situations. Our nearly 1,000 lawyers across 20 offices globally focus on the financial services, private equity, private credit, real estate, life sciences and technology sectors.
Community Justice Project Community Justice Project supports grassroots organizing for power, racial justice and human rights with innovative lawyering, research, creative strategy tools and the arts. Based in Miami, Florida, Community Justice Project is deeply and unapologetically committed to Black and brown communities throughout Florida.
