ACLU of Florida Issues Voter Empowerment Cards in English, Spanish and Creole to Inform Voters of Their Rights at the Polls

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: media@aclu.org

MIAMI — The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida today announced statewide distribution of palm-sized cards informing Floridians about their voting rights when going to the polls this November. The cards are available in English, Spanish and Creole through the state and regional offices as well as local chapters.

The ultimate goal of the empowerment cards is to ensure that all Florida voters are aware of their constitutional rights when they go to the polls, said the ACLU. The “2006 Florida Voter Empowerment Card” answers commonly asked questions that people may have as Election Day nears, such as where to vote and what to bring to the polls.

The cards also include information about how to minimize potential problems by, for example, calling county elections supervisors prior to Election Day to double-check registration status and making sure to be in the correct precinct if voting with a provisional ballot.

“Voters will certainly have a lot of questions as Election Day nears,” said Muslima Lewis, senior attorney and Director of the ACLU of Florida’s Racial and Voting Rights Projects. “These palm cards not only provide useful information for voters in advance, but are a great tool to take to the polls in case they encounter a situation that they aren’t sure how to handle.”

The cards also include useful phone numbers for people who experience problems while voting. In Florida, voters may file complaints on a wide range of election issues — including equipment malfunctions, access to the polls and discriminatory or illegal election practices — by calling the ACLU of Florida’s toll-free Election Day help line: 1 (877) 523-2792.

For the first time, the ACLU of Florida is partnering with the Florida Conference of the NAACP to put the cards in the hands of African American voters throughout the state. The ACLU also partnered with CreoleTrans to produce the Creole language cards.

Organizations that would like to distribute the 2006 Voter Empowerment Cards in their communities may request free copies of the English, Spanish and Creole cards from the ACLU of Florida at: vrp@aclufl.org or (786) 363-2729.

The ACLU of Florida is a non-profit, non-partisan organization working to eliminate statewide election policies that disenfranchise voters and often disproportionately impact people in minority communities, while at the same time forcing changes through litigation and public education that safeguard the right to vote.

The voter empowerment information can also be downloaded in PDF format on the Web at: www.aclufl.org/vote2006