Today I received an email from my good friend Senator Bill Nelson and he asked that I share it with you. Recent new voting and voter registration laws in Florida and other states have many wondering what is behind all this. Senator Bill Nelson has been wondering the same thing and in this email explains what he is doing about it. This is a good start, I'm sure there will be more.

An article from October 23, 2011 in The Datona Beach News-Journal titled New Florida election law stirs up controversy lays the background for the concern expressed by Senator Nelson. Imagine a law that prompted the League of Women Voters to suspend voter registration efforts in Florida after 72 years.

As a Floridian I am gratified that Senator Nelson is concerned about this madness and working to reverse recent Florida legislation and uncover if anything, what is behind this and bring it into the light. Thanks Bill.

Dear Friends,

The right to vote is, and always has been, at the foundation of our democracy. But this fundamental right is under serious attack right now, in Florida and more than a dozen other states. Many believe a handful of super-rich conservative activists are behind an orchestrated effort to keep millions of seniors, younger voters and minorities from casting ballots next year.

Whether or not that’s true, a civics teacher at New Smyrna Beach High School in Florida was on the receiving end of just such an attack last month. The teacher, Jill Cicciarelli, ran afoul of Florida’s new election law while helping some of her students pre-register to vote.

I have met with her and some of her students, and it’s no surprise they’re not happy with the state’s new voting law. Neither is their local supervisor of elections, who under the law was required to report them to state authorities. Volusia County Supervisor of Elections Ann McFall says parts of the law are egregious and unenforceable.

So, it’s not just me who thinks this law is aimed at suppressing the vote. Look at what informed editorial writers have also had to say: The Orlando Sentinel said the new law “amounts to… ripping apart election laws” and “weakening democracy.” The Tampa Tribune said this bill “isn't fooling anybody. It's not about clean elections.” And Florida Today called it an “assault on the most cherished of American rights.”

In a nutshell, the Florida law reduces the number of days for early voting from 14 to eight and exposes people who register others to vote to harsh penalties even for innocent mistakes. That’s why the widely respected League of Women Voters has abandoned its voter registration drives in Florida after 72 years.

I wrote Gov. Rick Scott a letter last month asking him to support a revamping or repeal of the law. I also wrote U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, to ask that we conduct a congressional investigation to see if Florida’s law was part of a plan that led to similar voting law changes in more than a dozen other states this year. And I have asked the Justice Department to look into who’s behind these changes.

Please share this note with all of your friends, family and colleagues. Regardless of your political party, I hope you’ll join me in trying to protect everybody’s right to vote.

Thanks for getting involved,



If you want to send a message to Senator Nelson, please Click here - Atta Boys, opinions are always welcome.

It is important that we acknowledge that we are ultimately responsible for who we elect into office. Be involved and stay informed.

On another subject I want to mention that on the website Whitehouse.gov/petitions - We The People, there is a petition titled Reject the Keystone XL Pipeline. The title is self explanatory and if this might be your opinion I would urge you to go and sign this petition. It will take only 3 minutes if you need to register, less if your already a member. Thank you.