Volunteers in Florida have been diligently collecting petitions over the past few months at various locations such as shopping malls, libraries, and farmers markets. These stacks of petitions are currently being sent to a central clearinghouse center in Sarasota.
The objective of this petition is to establish an amendment in the Florida Constitution, advocating for expanded abortion access. This initiative gained momentum in South Florida and throughout the state in response to the legislative decision to restrict most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
Zain Remy, a supporter from the Broward chapter of the League of Women Voters, expressed, “It has been quite a challenge. I’ve spent months educating many voters about the issue.”
To progress with the initiative, volunteers must gather almost 900,000 valid signatures before the February 1 deadline. Organizers face the task of submitting the petitions to each county’s supervisor of elections within a week.
Currently, the signatures are undergoing verification at a clearinghouse in Sarasota.
According to Anna Hochkammer, a petition organizer who thinks the issue transcends political boundaries, “we have collected over 1.4 million signatures so far. Fifteen percent of signatures are Republican voters.”
Organizers report that more than 750,000 signatures have undergone verification, and they anticipate obtaining the remaining 150,000 shortly to dispatch them to individual supervisors of elections within a week.
By February 1, the committee must present a minimum of 891,523 valid signatures statewide, fulfilling signature criteria in a minimum of half of the state’s congressional districts, to place the proposal on the November 2024 ballot for voters.
Additionally, the committee requires approval from the Florida Supreme Court for the proposed wording on the ballot.
Source: cbsnews
