Dear Governor DeSantis, As nonpartisan organizations committed to the protection and advancement of voting rights and fair representation, we write to express our deep concern regarding Florida’s attempt to pursue a mid-decade Census and redistricting process.
We strongly urge you to reject any attempt to deviate from the long-standing, constitutionally grounded decennial Census and redistricting cycle. A mid-decade effort would not only be an unprecedented disruption to established democratic norms, it would also undermine the stability of our electoral system and open the door to significant voter disenfranchisement, particularly among communities of color, immigrants, young people, and rural residents.
You had the opportunity to secure the congressional map you wanted during Florida’s 2022 redistricting cycle. The Florida Supreme Court later upheld that map, despite legal challenges from plaintiffs and voters who strongly disagreed with it. That process resulted in your preferred outcome. To revisit redistricting now, mid-decade, without a new Census, and at the request of President Trump, would appear politically motivated and dismissive of the constitutional process and public trust.
Regardless of personal or political viewpoints, we must all remember that in 2010, Florida voters overwhelmingly approved the Fair Districts Amendments, a clear and bipartisan mandate to safeguard our democracy. These amendments were adopted with nearly two-thirds of the vote and were designed to ensure that legislative and congressional districts are drawn in a way that is fair, impartial, and protects the rights of voters, particularly racial and language minorities.
Any attempt to conduct a mid-decade Census or redistricting effort would run directly counter to the will of the voters as expressed in these constitutional amendments. It would violate both the spirit and the intent of the Fair Districts provisions by allowing political interests to override the foundational principle of representative government grounded in equal population and accountability.
Florida must not follow the example of states like Texas. We urge you to demonstrate leadership by preparing our state for a fair, accurate, and complete count in 2030.
We respectfully call on your administration to:
- Publicly oppose any plans for a mid-decade Census or redistricting process and commit to honoring the decennial framework;
- Establish a statewide Complete Count Committee now, inclusive of bipartisan and community stakeholders, to begin the essential early planning and outreach that is required to ensure an accurate 2030 Census;
- Launch a statewide initiative promoting the importance of Census participation, ensuring every Floridian is counted and that the state receives its full share of federal funding and congressional representation in the 2030s.
A fair and complete decennial Census is not a partisan issue; it is essential to our state’s economic well-being, public services, and representative government.
Any attempt to conduct a mid-decade Census or redistricting process would be enormously costly, logistically unfeasible, and deeply disruptive to the functioning of our democratic systems. Florida’s electoral infrastructure is already preparing for a high-stakes gubernatorial election to select your successor. Redirecting state resources and administrative attention to an unnecessary and unmandated redistricting process would create avoidable chaos and confusion for election officials, legislators, and the public alike.
We urge you to resist efforts that would strip away voting rights and representation. We welcome the opportunity to work with your administration to protect the integrity of our state’s democratic processes.
Thank you,
Equal Ground Action Fund
Southern Poverty Law Center
NAACP Florida State Conference
Black Voters Matter
Florida Rising Together
Common Cause Florida
Florida For All
All Voting is Local Action
State Voices Florida
All About the Ballots
Florida Student Power
Digital Democracy Project – Florida
Power Up People
Palm Beach County Voting Rights Coalition
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