DeSantis' new election police

[Tettsuo]

Legislature gives DeSantis new election police to target voter fraud in Florida

The final House vote on this year’s bill was 76-41 and came a few days after the Senate voted 24-14 for the legislation. Legislators have already set aside more than $2.6 million and 25 positions to set up the election police unit in the Department of State as well as additional investigators who work in the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Other parts of the bill would make “ballot harvesting” a felony while another section would mandate that election supervisors screen voter rolls on a yearly basis to look for voters who may have moved or are no longer eligible. The Florida agency responsible for issuing driver’s licenses would be required to notify state elections officials monthly if they issued a license to non-citizens who are in the country legally.

The bill also changes the name of drop boxes to “secure ballot intake stations,” which would allow Republicans to suggest they got rid of them — a position pushed by Trump. But drop boxes would still be allowed as long as they are supervised.

The first version of the bill would have required voters to place additional identification requirements on mail-in ballots starting in the 2024 elections and to use an extra envelope. Local elections supervisors warned this would lead to voter confusion. Instead, legislators agreed to have state election officials do a study and return with recommendations.

Where are the vast numbers of voter fraud cases to substantiate this? How are they going to enforce this without have armed men standing outside of polling places intimidating people?

This stinks of voter suppression, not protection. Analogies to 1984 couldn't be more apt.

 

[BirdinHand]

Legislature gives DeSantis new election police to target voter fraud in Florida


Where are the vast numbers of voter fraud cases to substantiate this? How are they going to enforce this without have armed men standing outside of polling places intimidating people?

This stinks of voter suppression, not protection. Analogies to 1984 couldn't be more apt.

Not familiar with the bill…but NJ did all mail in/written ballots in 2020.

All locations to drop them at a “secure” box are under 24/7 surveillance and there were police at the location where I had to drop mine.

Is it not standard practice to have drop boxes under surveillance?

I would understand designating a specific force to that if it would become standard to have more mail votes cast - you don’t want to pull from towns, etc that might need their police for other things, right?

Or am I missing something?

 

[bongsaway]

Legislature gives DeSantis new election police to target voter fraud in Florida


Where are the vast numbers of voter fraud cases to substantiate this? How are they going to enforce this without have armed men standing outside of polling places intimidating people?

This stinks of voter suppression, not protection. Analogies to 1984 couldn't be more apt.

Notice the quotation marks.

“the most transparent and efficient election anywhere in the country.” Said DeSantis in february of 2021 about flori-duh...but they'll insist it is not to suppress the vote.

 

[Tettsuo]

Not familiar with the bill…but NJ did all mail in/written ballots in 2020.

All locations to drop them at a “secure” box are under 24/7 surveillance and there were police at the location where I had to drop mine.

Is it not standard practice to have drop boxes under surveillance?

I would understand designating a specific force to that if it would become standard to have more mail votes cast - you don’t want to pull from towns, etc that might need their police for other things, right?

Or am I missing something?

If there aren't already tons of voter fraud, why create a specific police force to address a non-existent problem?

 

[jonny5]

Legislature gives DeSantis new election police to target voter fraud in Florida


Where are the vast numbers of voter fraud cases to substantiate this? How are they going to enforce this without have armed men standing outside of polling places intimidating people?

This stinks of voter suppression, not protection. Analogies to 1984 couldn't be more apt.

Strange that the media never links the bill or reports what it says. They dont even give you the bill number. Let me actually find it and read it, then ill comment. However "Where are the vast numbers of voter fraud cases to substantiate this" is irrelevant. There are some and preventing more is just as important.

 

[jonny5]

https://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=_s0524er.DOCX&DocumentType=Bill&BillNumber=0524&Session=2022

Summary at the begining. The bill actually does a lot more than just election police (actually election police appears nowhere in the bill, sound familiar?)

Its actually the "97.022 Office of Election Crimes and Security"

(a) Receiving and reviewing notices and reports generated 185 by government officials or any other person regarding alleged 186 occurrences of election law violations or election 187 irregularities in this state. 188 (b) Initiating independent inquiries and conducting 189 preliminary investigations into allegations of election law 190 violations or election irregularities in this state. 191 (2) The office may review complaints and conduct 192 preliminary investigations into alleged violations of the 193 Florida Election Code or any rule adopted pursuant thereto and 194 any election irregularities.

Id like to think they were already doing this. So not sure I have a problem with it. Clearly both parties are getting more clever with voter fraud and manipulation of voting to favor themselves. All the more reason for term limits.

The bill had almost 2-1 support.

 

[j brown's body]

Florida's government is creating an election police and laws that forbid speaking and teaching certain ideas and banning the right of women to control their own bodies. It seems to be resembling a police state more and more. They couldn't do it if people didn't accept it, but they do. Very troubling.

 

[code1211]

Legislature gives DeSantis new election police to target voter fraud in Florida


Where are the vast numbers of voter fraud cases to substantiate this? How are they going to enforce this without have armed men standing outside of polling places intimidating people?

This stinks of voter suppression, not protection. Analogies to 1984 couldn't be more apt.

Why is demanding that people who claim to be qualified to vote actually SHOW they are qualified to vote?

Are you also opposed to people showing tickets to attend sporting events?

 

[BirdinHand]

Yeah - seems like the media is doing another smashing job of misrepresenting what is actually written IN the legislation, now that I've taken the time to read it.

 

[BirdinHand]

If there aren't already tons of voter fraud, why create a specific police force to address a non-existent problem?

Did you bother to read the legislation?

 

[Cope]

If there aren't already tons of voter fraud, why create a specific police force to address a non-existent problem?

Better yet, why worry about something designed to make something that you find great, even better?

 

[jonny5]

Yeah - seems like the media is doing another smashing job of misrepresenting what is actually written IN the legislation, now that I've taken the time to read it.

I dont think its a misrepresentation to call it election police, though thats not in the bill. While they arent 'police' they are non sworn investigators.

However, the media is leaving out informing readers of the other 99% of the bill. For example

increasing criminal penalties for a 118 person who unlawfully compensates a petition 119 circulator based on the number of petition forms 120 gathered;

increasing criminal 115 penalties for a person who signs another person’s name 116 or a fictitious name on specified petitions;

 

[NuffSaid]

I wonder if any of there "police" will be hanging around in The Villages, where real election fraud took place.

4th resident of The Villages arrested for voter fraud

A fourth resident of The Villages, Fla. was arrested for casting multiple votes in the 2020 election.

www.wfla.com