News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 24, 2018

(Upper Saddle River, NJ)—The Andrew Goodman Foundation, a co-plaintiff in Florida’s early-voting lawsuit, is pleased to announce that U.S. District Judge Mark Walker has granted a preliminary injunction against Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner’s interpretation of Florida’s early-voting law. Detzner’s interpretation prohibits Florida public college and university campuses from serving as early-polling sites, effectively making voting more difficult for students. The injunction will block enforcement of Secretary Detzner’s ban on voting early on public college and university campuses for the 2018 midterm elections.

While this is a moment to celebrate, there is still much work to be done before students in Florida enjoy full and equal voting rights. “The preliminary injunction is an enormous victory for student voters, but that doesn’t mean our work is finished,” says David Goodman, President of The Andrew Goodman Foundation.

“We are very proud of our University of Florida Vote Everywhere Ambassador, Jaime Roy, and Puffin Democracy Fellow, Megan Newsome, who are co-plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Megan’s op-ed in the Gainsville Sun got the ball rolling on the lawsuit and is the reason students may get a chance to vote early on their campuses this fall,” says Margaret Sasser, who manages the Vote Everywhere teams in Florida. “We plan to help our Florida teams organize to call for early voting sites on their campuses and to get out the vote for the midterm elections,” she added.

The Andrew Goodman Foundation’s mission is to make young voices and votes a powerful force in democracy. The hope is that the preliminary injunction will lead to a long-term determination that students be allowed a right to vote early on their campuses across the state of Florida just like all other voters. As co-plaintiffs alongside the League of Women Voters of Florida and six college students, The Andrew Goodman Foundation is committed to this fight for students’ voting rights in Florida and eager to see college and university students enjoy early voting on their campuses for years to come.

About The Andrew Goodman Foundation

Established to continue the legacy of Andrew Goodman, a civil rights worker murdered during Freedom Summer 1964, The Andrew Goodman Foundation partners with America’s colleges and universities through its Vote Everywhere program which provides student leaders with a platform to register and mobilize voters, organize campuses, and collaborate with their peers.

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CONTACT:
Justyna Krygowska, Communications Director
Justyna.Krygowska@andrewgoodman.org