JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Less than 24 hours after a judge ruled against her early voting lawsuit, Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., responded Tuesday.
A federal judge refused to stop Florida's plan to reduce the number of early voting days from 14 to 8.
After losing the ruling in court, Brown said she is determined to win with an appeal of that decision, along with a voter registration drive.
Brown said voters need to check and make sure their voter registration is up to date and that signatures on file with the Supervisor of Elections Office are current. She's also encouraging people to vote early in the November election.
Brown said there will be a court hearing in December after the election to challenge Florida's new rule limiting the days of early voting.
"Let me just say I am doing all I can, but it cannot just be me," she said. "We together, regardless of who you support. It is very important that people have the right to vote and have the right that their vote count."
Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland says the ruling now will allow his staff to get to work. Absentee ballots will be mailed out on Oct. 10, and early voting will begin in late October.
"Well, we are glad it came out as soon as it did so we can do our planning," Holland said. "We are looking forward to doing the eight-day, 12-hour days. We are looking for the first time of people voting going and coming from work during the eight days. We look forward to see how many people take advantage of it."
That is why Brown and others are focusing on a registration drive this weekend to get the vote out and make sure everyone who can vote will do so. Members of the Black Congressional Caucus will focus on Florida and Ohio, two battleground states, in registering voters.
"This is at the very heart of our democracy," Brown said. "We have all over this country direct attacks on the right to vote. Over 46 states have enacted certain laws to curtail the right to vote."