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Statement

Moms Reject Florida’s ‘Elections Police’ – a Shameful, Brazen Attempt to Intimidate Voters

March 15, 2022

Lisa Lederer, 202/371-1996

Statement of Nina Perez, Florida-based National Director for Early Learning at MomsRising, the online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on the changes to election law being adopted in Florida:

“America’s moms want a democracy where everyone participates, every vote is counted, and every voice is heard. By adopting new restrictions that criminalize commonly used voting practices that have been legal for years, by creating an Office of Election Crimes and Security, and by instituting fines and prison sentences for helping people vote, the state’s GOP lawmakers are embracing shameful intimidation tactics when they should be working to strengthen our democracy. The creation of an ‘elections police’ is designed to scare Black, Brown and immigrant voters, and will make it more difficult for many Floridians to vote, especially seniors and people with disabilities. This is, quite simply, wrong.

“Every lawmaker who voted for this, and Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is poised to sign it into law, know very well that voting fraud is incredibly rare in our country. Solving a problem that doesn’t exist, while ignoring so many that do, is becoming the Republican brand in some states. Moms want free and fair elections, conducted without intimidation and racism. We want better than this from our lawmakers.”

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.