Media Contact

Casey Bruce-White, ACLU of Florida, media@acluflu.org
Inga Sarda-Sorensen, ACLU National, isarda-sorensen@aclu.org
Liza McClenaghan, Common Cause Florida, florida@commoncause.org
Brad  Ashwell, All Voting Is Local, brad@allvotingislocal.org 
Rich Robinson, Fair Elections Center, rrobinson@fairelectionscenter.org
Graeme Crews, SPLC Action Fund, graeme.crews@splcenter.org
Denis McLaughlin, FLCET, dmclaughlin@statevoices.org 
Patricia Brigham, League of Women Voters of Florida, patricia@lwvfl.org 
Don Owens, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, dowens@lawyerscommittee.org 
Michael Pernick, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, mpernick@naacpldf.org 
​​​​​​​Marsha Ellison, NAACP Florida State Conference, msmarshaej@aol.com 

October 23, 2020

MIAMI -- A group of nonpartisan civil rights and voting rights organizations sent a letter to Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri in response to two armed individuals dressed as security guards outside an early voting site in Pinellas County who reportedly said they were “hired by the Trump campaign.” In response, Sheriff Gualtieri called for stationing deputies at all early voting locations in Pinellas County. In the letter, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), ACLU of Florida, All Voting is Local, Common Cause Florida, Fair Elections Center, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, League of Women Voters of Florida, NAACP Florida State Conference, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and FLCET (State Voices), highlight that Sheriff Gualtieri’s response to the armed individuals could amplify voter intimidation. 

The groups cautioned Sheriff Gualtieri against deploying and stationing uniformed officers at all polling locations in Pinellas County and called on him to reserve deployment for locations where there are specific, articulated safety concerns.

From the letter: “Although we appreciate your stated commitment to combating voter intimidation, we are concerned that part of your response may amplify it. Many people, especially those belonging to historically marginalized communities, find the presence of police officers themselves at polling locations to be intimidating. Black and Brown Floridians may have an especially heightened sensitivity to police presence due to the unjust killings of people of color at the hands of law enforcement throughout 2020 and in recent years, and historically. Although such presence may be appropriate if militia groups or private security genuinely threaten the personal safety of voters, these potential risks should not, and do not, justify non-emergency policing of voters of color. In other words, law enforcement presence should not be automatic, and officers should not generally be stationed at the polls preemptively. They should be deployed only in response to genuine security issues requiring their involvement.”

The letter can be found here: https://www.aclufl.org/en/letter-sheriff-gualtieri-re-armed-officials-polls