Puerto Rican wave hits Florida, carrying big political implications. 130,00 arrived. GOP won by 113,

[Madam45for2923]

Some 130,000 Puerto Ricans have arrived in Florida since Hurricane Maria, adding to an already steady wave and signaling a potential major development in I-4 corridor politics.

Experts at the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College in New York estimate that more than 300,000 Puerto Ricans could leave the island in the next two years, and Florida would likely attract many of those.

The political ramifications are big and at least on paper favors Democrats, as Puerto Ricans tend to vote for the party.

"Florida is a big swing state and Central Florida is the epicenter of that," Dennis Freytes, a political activist in the Orlando area, told the Tampa Bay Times in September, just after the storm. "This could be a very big deal. There are going to be voter registration drives and both parties are going to be after them. They already are."

more: http://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2017/11/10/puerto-rican-wave-hits-florida-carrying-big-political-implications/

Link to tweet

[Madam45for2923]

1. 130,000 Puerto Ricans abandoned by Trump move to state he won by only 113,000 votes

130,000 Puerto Ricans abandoned by Trump move to state he won by only 113,000 votes https://shareblue.com/130000-puerto-ricans-abandoned-by-trump-move-to-state-he-won-by-only-113000-votes

[Madam45for2923]

2. Register, register, register & then GOTV GOTV GOTV !!!

[rogue emissary]

5. Also, fight like hell any new voter ID requirements or new residency standards adopted.

Scott and the Republicans are not going to allow this many nonwhite to vote. If they haven't started already. They will impose new voter registrations rules or stricter ID requirements to discourage Puerto Ricans from voting.

[Madam45for2923]

9. #ProtectTheVote

https://twitter.com/hashtag/ProtectTheVote?src=hash

[Madam45for2923]

3. Florida! July 30 2018 is the deadline to register for primaries!

Link to tweet

Voter Registration/Bookclosing Deadline
Eligible individuals can register to vote at any time. The deadline to register in order to participate in an upcoming election is 29 days before the election. The registration deadlines for 2018 are:

Primary Election: July 30, 2018
General Election: October 9, 2018


Election Day
A General Election is held in November of every even-numbered year. The Primary Election is held 10 weeks before the General Election for purposes of nominating party nominees to be voted for in the General Election to fill a national, state, county, or district office. The election dates for 2018 are:

Primary Election: August 28, 2018
General Election: November 6, 2018

Note: Special elections may be called at any time during the year.

http://dos.myflorida.com/elections/for-voters/election-dates/

[mcar]

4. We welcome our fellow country people!

[Madam45for2923]

6. My State of NY is even offering IN-STATE tuition to incoming Puerto Ricans!

[mcar]

7. That is great!

I'd love for many Puerto Ricans to stay here in FL - and vote! And yes, I'm being mercenary.

[KPN]

42. +1!

[angrychair]

8. See! Seeeeee!

That’s why we gots to build us a wall!!! Keep them foureners out! Merica for Mericans!

[Thrill]

10. You know that crooked state will find a way

To keep them from voting

[Madam45for2923]

11. They have high-turnout in the island for their elections there. Am sure many are motivated.

[DrDan]

12. it could cost us a senate seat

[Madam45for2923]

14. ???

[moriah]

16. I second those ???s. Nt

[DrDan]

17. Scott vs Nelson - Scott has gone out of his way to get the PR vote

pretty much a toss-up right now

[Madam45for2923]

19. Puerto Ricans in Florida are to the left of Cubans & now that their island was left 4 dead

they have more motivations to sack the GOP.

[DrDan]

20. I agree with that in general - but Scott has, as I said, gone out of his way

to court their vote - I don't think that will be ignored in the election next year - many will have made a successful transition to Florida based on his actions.

[Madam45for2923]

23. Sen. Bill Nelson offices & phone numbers:

https://www.billnelson.senate.gov/contact-bill/offices


Washington, DC Office

United States Senate
716 Senate Hart Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]


Broward Office

3416 South University Drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]


Fort Myers Office

2000 Main Street
Suite 801
Fort Myers, FL 33901
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]


Jacksonville Office

1301 Riverplace Blvd.
Suite 2010
Jacksonville, FL 32207
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]


Miami-Dade Office

2555 Ponce De Leon Boulevard
Suite 610
Coral Gables, FL 33134
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]


Orlando Office

225 East Robinson Street
Suite 410
Orlando, FL 32801
Phone: [phone] or toll free in Florida: 1-888-671-4091
Fax: [phone]



Tallahassee Office

111 North Adams Street
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Tampa Office

801 N. Florida Ave.
4th Floor
Tampa, FL 33602
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]


West Palm Beach Office

413 Clematis Street
Suite 210
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

[Madam45for2923]

32. I just called Sen. Nelson office and learned that he went to the island and is working to pass

legislation to help incoming Puerto Ricans when they come to Florida get aid faster instead of having to wait 30 days.

[DrDan]

54. that's a good thing - but realize Scott has declared an emergency for all Fl counties to aid PR's,

he lifted out-of-state tuition for students, and he lifted fees for occupational licenses to include teacher certification fees

[Madam45for2923]

55. Well, am glad they are being helped anyhow.

[DrDan]

56. can't disagree at all - my dil is from PR with family still there

[KPN]

44. Then we should be focusing on making sure they are registered as Dems in time

to vote in 2018.

Dems in FL and those able and willing to travel to FL to assist should focus on this now.

[DrDan]

58. PR's are registering to vote in Florida - however most are choosing "no party affiliation"

(can't get a handle on any actual percentages)

So you are right - we should encourage registering as Dems. Taking their vote for granted based on the past could be a big mistake in the tight senate make-up.

[usaf-vet]

13. YES!!! That is good news.

Trump and the GOP are going to regret neglecting the Puerto Rican US citizens. And isn't great than when it comes to voter ID laws the citizens of Puerto Rico hold US Passports.

[Madam45for2923]

15. Also, they don't need passports to come to the mainland.

[Wounded Bear]

18. And yet, in our new papers please society if your melanin level is high...

means that their passports could be useful.

Assuming the cops check ID before they "stand their ground."

[Vogon_Glory]

21. I hope they turn out to vote

I have been extremely disappointed by the political indolence of the Latinos of Texas. This is a state where millions of Latinos could register to vote, March to the polls as early as next October, and put an end to Republican rule of Texas. Instead, they stay home, even as the Republicans of Texans are returning to their old race-baiting ways which so many of us thought they’d given up decades ago.

[KPN]

46. Why do you suppose that is?

Are they undocumented or fear for undocumented family members? Are they just intimidated by the right? Are they just uninformed?

What do you think is the cause for this?

[Vogon_Glory]

50. No, its not because theyre undocumented

Most of the non-voters seem to be native-born, whose parents and even grandparents have been US citizens.

I am baffled and perplexed. It’s not like they don’t have the opportunities to register. It’s not like they’ve been terrorized by the ICE and the older Border Patrol. These are by-gosh, born-here US citizens, just like most DU posters (Or the (expletives deleted) Free Republic membership).

They just don’t seem to get the idea that even if voting doesn’t affect their daily lives, it’s an efficient way of halting the political antics of Right-wingers seeking to (Phillips-head) them over.

I vote against politicians who seek to do me or the causes I believe in I’ll. A majority of potential, citizenship-qualified, eligible Latino voters in Texas just don’t bother to go to the polls.

[KPN]

51. Curious. Do you have data that shows that?

If so, I'm also curious about whether and how the State Democratic organization focusing effort on this.

I'm in Oregon -- a solidly blue State at this point. It must be very frustrating. Sometimes I wish I lived in a State where my personal efforts might actually contribute to making a big difference.

[Vogon_Glory]

53. No, I leave the data-collecting to other folks.

Last edited Wed Nov 15, 2017, 06:03 PM - Edit history (1)

Much of what I wrote has been seentime and time again after we Democrats wake up on another early Wednesday morning after Election Day and find we took another hammering.

Such losses might be understandable if Texas Democrats has copy-catted the worst of the Republican platform, like “piratize” public schools, bust the unions, shut down poor people’s access to health clinics, uphold white supremacy, call for revocation of birthright citizenship, but we don’t.

You live in Oregon? Count yourself lucky. Texas seems to be a state where many of the Phillips-headed over choose to respond by voting against. The rascals, not by rolling over and going back to sleep like so much of the Texas electorate.

Yeah, I know there was an uptick in Texas Democratic turnout last year, but I expect too many voters will play sleepy-bunnies again next year.

[workhat]

22. Cue up GOP voter suppression efforts against past residents of PR

[DownriverDem]

30. Cue Up

the ACLU big time.

[Eliot Rosewater]

35. GOP will assign an entire team of fascists to this issue to stop as many patriots

from voting as they can.

Patriots voting is the last fucking thing the GOP wants to see.

Welcome to DU

[getagrip_already]

24. it will be hard for many to prove citizenship......

Storm survivors don't always have the necessary form of id to register in a state like florida. They have likely lost birth certificates and getting replacements will be difficult.

Some may not even have a drivers license.

Better get the balls rolling sooner, rather than later. It will take time and a lot of effort to get a lot of these refugees registered.

The same thing happened after katrina. It was very difficult to register when all you have is your name......

[Madam45for2923]

25. If they were able to fly or take a ship to the mainland they have their id's.

[getagrip_already]

26. but what id?

a PR drivers license is not a valid proof of citizenship under FL law. Did they need passports to enter the country or were there waivers?

[DownriverDem]

28. Hello?

They are US citizens. What do you need to move to another state? If there is a problem, I'm sure the ACLU will file a lawsuit.

[getagrip_already]

37. yes, and so are hispanics who have been born here, but....

A drivers license is not an acceptable proof of citizenship in FL from what I hear. You need your original birth certificate.

A passport is probably ok, but a drivers license isn't proof of citizenship in most places.

[csziggy]

41. In order to get a photo ID or driver's license in Florida you have to provide a birth certificate

Or proof of citizenship. Women who have been married, divorced, or widowed have to provide documentation of each of those events in order to prove a trail for any name change.

People who have lost everything probably do not have certified copies of the needed documents. Getting them from offices in Puerto Rico may be impossible with the continuing problems of power supply and lack of services.

Here is what Florida requires:

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) requires you to apply for your Florida REAL ID card in person at a Division of Driver Licenses.

To do so, make an appointment online using the DHSMV's OASIS online service before visiting a nearby Division of Driver Licenses office and provide:

Proof of identity (1 document). Examples are:
A valid, unexpired U.S. passport.
Original or certified copy of a birth certificate.
Certificate of Naturalization issued by the DHS.
For non-U.S. citizens, please see “Non-U.S. Citizen FL ID Requirements" below.
Social Security card.
If you do not have a Social Security number, the DHSMV requires that you bring a letter from the Social Security Administration indicating you were never issued one, plus an acceptable document proving your identity.
Proof of FL residency (2 documents). Examples are:
Deed, mortgage, or rental/lease agreement.
Florida voter registration card.
W-2 form or 1099 form.
Payment for your FL ID card fee:
Original ID card: $25.
ID card renewal: $25.
Duplicate ID card: $25.
Address change: $25.
Tax Collector office additional service fee: $6.25

The DHSMV's GatherGoGet page has a list of all acceptable documentation.
https://www.dmv.org/fl-florida/id-cards.php

[KPN]

47. So ... what can Democrats do to help the them obtain proof of their US citizenship?

I wonder, do they have to go back to Puerto Rico personally to obtain this? Or is it something that we can help them accomplish?

[Hekate]

63. Florida Dems, please gear up to help our fellow citizens

For so many reasons.

[Madam45for2923]

33. I called Sen Nelson office & learned that incoming Puerto Ricans are being helped @ d Intnl Airport

get Florida driver's licenses right there and then!

[DownriverDem]

29. Get ready for lawsuits then

They are US citizens. If your stuff was all wiped out, how would you prove citizenship?

[DownriverDem]

27. The Question

Are they being registered to vote? They are citizens, so they just need to register.

[Madam45for2923]

34. I called Sen Nelson office just now & spoke to them about that!

[getagrip_already]

38. and?

What forms of ID are required in FL to register?

[Madam45for2923]

40. I was told that incoming Puerto Ricans are being helped at the Intnl Airport get Florida drivers

licenses and iD's right there and then. Also help setting up aid and getting kids back to school.

[getagrip_already]

60. that wasn't the question....

The question is what forms of ID are required to register to vote.

In FL, you have to show proof of citizenship; drivers licenses don't qualify. Original birth certificates or passports are usually required, along with other forms of id.

But if they don't have their passports or birth certificates, can they register?

[LonePirate]

31. That 113K is due to an unprecedented turnout of WWC voters which will not be matched again.

The Racist-in-Chief will not be able to rely on those turnout numbers again.

[Vogon_Glory]

49. WWC?

What’s that?

[LonePirate]

57. White Working Class (the non-degreed white workers who turned out in force due to his racism)

The rural and suburban white vote was off the charts in many states for 45. Florida is just one example. That turn out will not be repeated in 2020.

[triron]

36. That supposed win is due to vote suppression and tampering.

Hillary won Florida but stolen from her by Repuke vote suppression and Russian vote
alteration.

[Madam45for2923]

39. I agree! Thanks for reminder!

[KPN]

48. And so far, from what I can gather,

there's really nothing in place that will guarantee this doesn't happen again in 2018-20.

[Gothmog]

43. The refugees from Puerto Rico may well change the Florida political landscape

[OnDoutside]

52. "both parties are going to be after them" .... BOTH ? Some F**king neck.

[Blue_true]

59. Send some to my county. nt

[uponit7771]

61. Plenty of room in Texas :) :)