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DeSantis administration ramps up efforts to defeat Amendment 4 as poll shows widespread support for it

By Giselle Balido

October 15, 2024

Supporters of the amendment to enshrine abortion in the state Constitution say a new report –from the DeSantis administration which does not provide evidence for allegations of fraud – is “nothing more than dishonest distractions and desperate attempts to silence voters.”

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration on Friday released a 350-page report alleging fraud and irregularities with Amendment 4, the grassroots ballot measure that seeks to enshrine the right to abortion in the state. If it passes in Nov. with at least 60% of the vote, Amendment 4 would enshrine the right to abortion care in the state’s constitution, effectively overturning DeSantis’ six-week ban

Issued by the office of Secretary of State Cord Byrd, a Republican who was appointed by DeSantis, and the Office of Election Crimes & Security (OECS), the account alleges that individuals were paid to sign the petition and that a “significant number of known or suspected fraudsters had petitions counted across the state.”

The report – which does not provide evidence for the allegations – also claims that between 11.7% and 23.6% of the 900,000 signatures submitted by organizers were improperly validated. If 16.4% were found to be inaccurately authenticated, the amendment could be disqualified in four Congressional districts, according to the Tampa Bay Times. 

For its part, the Office of Election Crimes and Security (OECS) issued a separate report claiming that a “large number of forged signatures or fraudulent petitions” were submitted to get the question on the ballot and announced a $328,000 fine against the ballot-measure group.

The report concludes with the proviso that if the secretary of state finds that the Amendment 4 campaign committed a violation, the attorney general could issue “a permanent or temporary injunction, a restraining order, or any other appropriate order” to kill the amendment.

Floridians Protecting Freedom and the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, the groups behind Amendment 4, said they plan to argue the state’s findings.

“This campaign has been run above board and followed state law at every turn,” Lauren Brenzel, campaign director of Yes for 4, said in a statement to the Tampa Bay Times. “What we are seeing now is nothing more than dishonest distractions and desperate attempts to silence voters.”

Brenzel also pointed out that the DeSantis administration didn’t challenge the signatures when it had a chance to in January.

A relentless political war

After the report, the OECS announced it has opened “well more than 100” preliminary criminal investigations, which Brenzel argued is further evidence of pro-choice advocates being politically targeted by the state over their support for abortion rights. 

“Ask yourself, why is this happening now, over half a year after over 997,000 petitions were verified by the state of Florida and now with less than a month until the election, they want to revisit the petition collection process?” Brenzel, the campaign director for Yes on 4, said in a statement. “Simply put, it’s because our campaign is winning.”

Indeed, a recent poll of 625 likely Florida voters from Jacksonville-based Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy on behalf of NBC 6 and Telemundo 51 found that Amendment 4 has enough support to pass.

Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamani, a strong vocal supporter of the amendment, told the Times that the state’s move signals a clear attempt “to mislead and confuse voters about three weeks ahead of an election.” 

RELATED: Just the facts: What you need to know about Florida’s Amendment 4

This, however, is not the first time the DeSantis administration has tried to thwart the amendment to codify the right to an abortion in the state constitution. 

The state also launched a taxpayer-funded website run by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration that claims that Amendment 4 “threatens women’s safety,” even though it would merely restore the previous standard of Roe v. Wade, which required abortion to be legal until fetal viability, which is usually around 24 weeks (or when necessary after that to protect a patient’s health, as determined by their healthcare provider). 

In September, Florida voters who signed a petition to place Amendment 4 on the ballot were visited at home by election police officers claiming to be investigating possible petition fraud by inspecting thousands of already-validated signatures.

And early in Oct., the DeSantis administration threatened an NBC-affiliate TV station in Tampa with legal action for airing a campaign ad for Amendment 4.

“What we are seeing now is nothing more than dishonest distractions and desperate attempts to silence voters,” Brenzel added.

 

RELATED: Kamala Harris’ fight for reproductive freedom takes center stage in 2024

Author

  • Giselle Balido

    Giselle is Floricua's political correspondent. She writes about the economy, environmental and social justice, and all things Latino. A published author, Giselle was born in Havana and grew up in New Jersey and Miami. She is passionate about equality, books, and cats.

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