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Judge: Florida Needs New Election Maps Before 8/26 Primary

August 1, 2014 | WMFE, Orlando -- Florida lawmakers must redraw state congressional districts by August 15, a mere 11 days before the state primary election.

That’s the ruling Friday from Circuit Judge Terry Lewis.  He’s ordering the Legislature into a special session.

Lewis says a special election later this year will determine leaders of the modified districts.  That means candidates in those areas won’t have to guess their district lines while campaigning.

But, Senator Geraldine Thompson points out a scheduling problem that over half Florida’s legislators now face.  “I have a primary on August 26, so, to be called to go back to Tallahasse to redraw district lines that should have been drawn fairly in the first place, means that it puts a lot of us at a disadvantage,” she says.  “But, we’ve got to go back to get it done by August 15.”

Thompson says, despite that pressure, Florida voters have a right to constitutionally elected leadership.

GOP leaders had asked to keep the maps they drew in place to avoid a last-minute rush.

 

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