TAMPA, Fla. –The League of Women Voters of Florida announces the release of a new publication: "Why Should I Vote?" The guide, available in English and Spanish, provides concise, easy-to-read voting information on a variety of topics. Our goal is a successful 2006 election cycle in that no eligible voter in Florida is disenfranchised.
All organizations working to get out the vote on September 5 and November 7, 2006 will benefit from this important and timely brochure. The brochure, part of the League’s Voter Protection Project for the 2006 elections, is free and available for immediate distribution by visiting www.LWVFla.org. Funding was provided by the League of Women Voters of the United States Education Fund.
“With so much controversy over gerrymandering, registering of voters, and campaign financing – is it any wonder that citizens who are eligible to vote stay away from the polls in ever-increasing numbers,” said Dianne Wheatley-Giliotti, President of the League of Women Voters. “All Floridians should vote because everyone has a stake in election outcomes whether they realize it or not.
“Poor voter turnout leads elected officials to think that we really are not interested—we are not concerned with how they govern,” Giliotti continued. “Citizens who don't register and don't vote are responsible for any unfavorable outcome.”
The publication provides voting information on a variety of topics including criteria for eligibility to vote, what citizens need to register and vote, including picture and signature ID, where and when to request provisional or absentee ballots, contact numbers for further information, and how to find out if your vote was counted.
Questions about Florida's Voter Registration Database continue to surface. Some concerns include incorrect information attached to voters' files, party affiliations listed incorrectly, the ability to ascertain whether the former felon provisions are accurate or not. None of these processes are fully operational.
The League and its partners are making every effort to make the voting public aware of the pitfalls that may be present on Election Day -- before they go to the polls. The voter protection project, using this new voter guide as an educational tool, will help engage citizens in the political process.
The League of Women Voters of Florida joined with other organizations, including Common Cause Florida, Florida PIRG, ACORN, American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, Florida AFL/CIO, Florida State University's Center for the Advancement of Human Rights, and Project Vote, to develop and distribute this voter protection brochure. Contact your local League of Women Voters or any of the organizations listed on the brochure for the League's newest publication, "Why Should I Vote?"
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