Florida legislators oppose supporting the passage of the Florida Voting Rights Act

On Thursday, February 5, 2026 Florida legislators in the Government Operations Subcommittee heard House Bill 991 which was designed to revise information DOS is required to include in specified report; requires persons to swear or affirm they have reviewed voter registration instructions, are United States citizen, & understand penalties for providing false information; requires voter registration application to elicit documentation required by United States Election Assistance Commission or federal law; requires that applicant's citizenship status be verified by records of DHSMV; provides that applicant will be registered as unverified voter, but may not vote, if his or her legal status as United States citizen cannot be verified through DHSMV; requires online voter registration system to transmit certain information to supervisor of elections & generate certain notices; requires supervisor of elections to verify legal status of certain applicants & provide certain notice.

An amendment 1001 was introduced by Rep. RaShon Young called the Harry T. and Harry V. Moore Florida Voting Rights Act. This amendment would do the following:

1. Prohibition Against Vote Denial and Dilution: Confronting vote dilution — which occurs in unfair districts that weaken or drown out Black and Brown voters’ voices — and addressing barriers that deny voting opportunities in a way that is efficient and cost effective for both voters and local governments within the state.

2. Preclearance: Launching a preclearance program administered by a new independent Florida Voting Rights Act Commission. This program will require local governments with records of discrimination to prove that certain voting changes won’t harm voters of color before they can go into effect.

3. Language Access - Expanding language assistance for voters with limited English proficiency so every voter can participate effectively.

4. Statewide Database - Implementing a central public repository for election and demographic data with the goal of fostering transparent, evidence-based practices in election administration.

5. Prohibition on Voter Intimidation, Deception, and Obstruction: Combatting voter intimidation, deception, and obstruction with new tools to empower voters to protect their rights, which is more important than ever due to recent efforts to stoke fear, spread disinformation, and obstruct access to the ballot box among eligible voters and communities of color

6. Expansive Voter Access: Establishing a paid holiday for Election Day, same-day voter registration, automatic voter registration through the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and more.

7. Florida Commission on Offender Review: Protecting returning citizens from unfair prosecutions by creating a centralized database for returning citizens to determine voter eligibility.

Here's how Florida legislators voted on the amendment:

Chaney, Linda [R] - N

Holcomb, Jeff [R] - N

Campbell, Daryl [D] - Y

Alvarez, Jose [D]- Y

Aristide, Wallace [D] - Y

Basabe, Fabián [R] - N

Conerly, William "Bill" [R] - N

Gentry, Richard [R] - N

Greco, Sam [R] - N

Griffitts, Jr., Philip Wayne "Griff" [R] - N

Nix , Jr., Danny [R] - N

Plasencia, Susan [R] - N

Rosenwald, Mitch [D] - Y

Sapp, Judson [R] - N

Stark, Paula A. [R] - N

Valdés, Susan L. [R] - N

Weinberger, Meg [R] - N

Young, RaShon [D] - Y

Watch the committee meeting here