Florida Fails to Register Voters at Motor Vehicles Offices

By Project Vote October 19, 2016
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Photo: Carl Lender via Creative Commons
Photo: Carl Lender via Creative Commons

Florida residents have been denied the federally required opportunity to register to vote when interacting with motor vehicles offices, say the League of Women Voters of Florida. Represented by Project Vote and Demos, the LWV of Florida put state officials on notice for failing to follow the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).

Today’s pre-litigation notice letter calls on Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner and Terry Rhodes, Executive Director of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) to take steps to comply with the NVRA.

“Today’s letter cites substantial evidence that DHSMV is neglecting its NVRA obligations and violating federal law in two important ways,” according to a press release issued by the voting rights groups today. “First, the letter alleges that DHSMV’s ‘GoRenew’ internet portal—which allows individuals to renew their license or state I.D. online—violates the NVRA because it does not offer customers an opportunity to register as required by the NVRA. Second, the letter states that DHSMV is failing to meet its voter registration obligations with respect to change-of-address transactions completed in-person, by mail, and online.”

“The NVRA includes very specific criteria to ensure that eligible citizens can register and vote, and these requirements are not optional; they apply whether individuals conduct their business with DHSMV in person, online, or by mail,” said Archita Taylor, election counsel for Project Vote. “By ignoring these requirements, DHSMV is denying Floridians their federally-guaranteed rights, and potentially robbing individuals of their votes.”