The Washington Post reports that Florida governor Ron DeSantis now wants a special police force to oversee state elections. Voting rights advocates naturally are afraid he'll get it -- and use it to intimidate voters. I'd say that's a safe bet:
The proposed Office of Election Crimes and Security would be part of the Department of State, which answers to the governor. DeSantis is asking the GOP-controlled legislature to allocate nearly $6 million to hire 52 people to “investigate, detect, apprehend, and arrest anyone for an alleged violation” of election laws. They would be stationed at unspecified “field offices throughout the state” and act on tips from “government officials or any other person.”
DeSantis highlighted his plan as legislators opened their annual 60-day session last week.
“To ensure that elections are conducted in accordance with the rule of law, I propose an election integrity unit whose sole focus will be the enforcement of Florida’s election laws,” he said during his State of the State address. “This will facilitate the faithful enforcement of election laws and will provide Floridians with the confidence that their vote will matter.”
In other words, this police force will make sure Florida Republicans never lose another race again. Part of their charge almost certainly will be to intimidate election workers by throwing them in jail.
Welcome to fascism. Don't spend your tourist dollars in Ron DeSantis' Florida.
