DeSantis' proposed election police force alarms voting rights advocates

[AZProgressive]

(CNN)Florida could become the first state in the country with a dedicated police force to investigate election fraud under a proposal that has become a top priority of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The proposal has concerned voting rights advocates, local election officials and Democrats, who fear the scope of this police force's new mandate could lead to voter intimidation.

If approved, the new office would have a 52-member team, including 20 sworn police officers, to "investigate, detect, apprehend, and arrest anyone for an alleged violation" of election laws.

"They don't have a lot of safeguards to keep this from being politicized and weaponized," said Brad Ashwell, the Florida state director of the voting rights group All Voting is Local.

DeSantis is asking lawmakers to set aside $5.7 million to create the Office of Election Crimes and Security and give the executive branch unique and unprecedented power to look into voting irregularities, despite little evidence of widespread voter fraud in his state.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/19/politics/ron-desantis-pushes-election-police-force/index.html

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Wasn't that the job of Katherine Harris in 2000 as Sec of State?

[Baitball Blogger]

2. Hair on fire, red flags, defcon 1

Nothing this man does in Florida is objective. NOTHING. He doesn't understand the concept of public steward or honest broker. So, yes, think the worst.

[Norbert]

3. Hey Sen. Cornyn, how is this for overreach

[Dreampuff]

4. Desatan is an idiot

And hopefully can be replaced as our governor. The only comfort I have is that if he does win the governor's seat again, he will be too busy on the presidential political trail to pay attention to us or come up with more crazy things.

He also plans on having his own personal national guard that is ruled only by the state. If I didn't know any better, I would think he plans on seceding and becoming the dictator here.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Yeah, well I can see why Election Booth Gestapo might alarm some people

But DeathSentence doesn't understand.

[Hieronymus Phact]

7. Don't fool yourself

He understands perfectly.

[bucolic_frolic]

8. He doesn't understand at all

why people would be upset by it.

[Hieronymus Phact]

15. I disagree

He knows exactly why they're upset. Upsetting 'those' people energizes his base, it adds legitimacy to the conspiracy theories. He's not stupid.

[NoMoreRepugs]

6. Have the units brown shirts been ordered yet?

[The Jungle 1]

9. Hobnailed jackboot fascist rise up from their graves.

They are trying to destroying our democracy.
We kicked their fascist asses in one civil war and two WWs we will do it again if called.
I wish they would stand down.

[dwayneb]

10. But the fascists have more powerful weapons today

You are right we did defeat fascism in WWII and we have survived and prospered for decades as a result.

But today's Fascists have a weapon far more powerful than any Panzer or V2 rocket. Today they have the most powerful propaganda machines in history, broadcast mouthpieces unfettered by the Fairness Doctrine, and the Internet.

They can win this war without firing a shot.

[Evolve Dammit]

13. very good point.

[The Jungle 1]

14. Well I disagree

We Americans deployed our weapons in the last election. Then they tried to stage a fascist treasonous revolt. We smashed their treason and we are putting them in jail. Remember trump did not have the military behind him. General Milley made that clear. Treason goes no where without support of the military. Which is the only reason trump left the WH.
Do not underestimate our success. Or our power.
We have access to the same news outlets. It is past time to call out these treasonous fascist for what they are. Post it everywhere.

Trump for prison.

We also need to remember that a shot has been fired in this treasonous assault on our nation. A treasonous woman was killed. Many police were also killed and injured. Just not by gunfire.

[BoomaofBandM]

11. So what is Erik Prince up to these days?

[Evolve Dammit]

12. This should alarm every real American. Disgusting. Start at MagatLardo where the fraud was.