Politics

Soca The Vote.Com Urges Voters To Beware Of Voter Rights Misinformation

Driver’s license ID is for ONLY for confirmation of voter identity

MIAMI – In Florida, due to serious misinformation about voting eligibility in recent emails stating that voters may not be able to vote if the address on their driver’s licenses do not match their address on the voter list at the polling place, SOCAVOTE.COM has verified that this message is ABSOLUTELY FALSE.

The clear language of the law does NOT require the address on the driver’s license (or other ID) that the voter presents at the polls to match the voter’s address in the precinct register. Furthermore, this recent press release from the Florida Secretary of State definitively contradicts this information:

http://www.dos.state.fl.us/news/communications/pressRelease/pressRelease.cfm?id=330

I.D. required and checked at the polls is used solely to confirm the voter’s identity. Not to verify the voter’s ID number or address. The photograph on the ID is compared to the person standing before the poll worker and the signature on the ID is compared to the signature on record.

These incorrect e-mails are based on a serious misunderstanding of the new “no match, no vote” law. In fact, that law requires only that, when a voter registers to vote, the driver’s license number (or state ID number or last 4 digits of a social security number) match the number in a state or federal database. It says nothing about addresses.

It is a good idea to update the address of your voter registration and your driver’s license if you move. But doing so is not required for you to vote. Voters should verify and/or update their voting status with their local supervisor of elections. For future reference before forwarding any emails regarding voting rights, eligibility or status, voters are urged to contact their local Supervisor of Elections for verification and clarification.

The Soca D’ Vote campaign is a non-partisan grassroots initiative to foster greater civic awareness and voter education in the Caribbean Diaspora and throughout the Caribbean region. For more information and to download a voter registration application, visit www.socadvote.com / www.socathevote.com.

Related Articles

Back to top button