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Amendment One Passes, Some Voters May Have Hurdles to Look Forward To

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Amendment One has passed with more than 60% percent of the vote, which is what it needed to become part of the state's constitution.

Amendment One changes one word of the Florida constitution, from EVERY citizen can vote, to ONLY citizens can vote. Today it passed, garnering more than the required 60 percent of Florida votes need.

The passage of Amendment One lays the groundwork to make it more difficult for people to exercise their right to vote. With that one little word change, documentation requirements and red tape could make it harder for people who have the right to vote to actually cast a ballot.

In the other states that have passed what are called “proof of citizenship” requirements for voting, things like a birth certificate or a passport are required. That can be problematic for older voters and communities of color, who are more likely to struggle with documentation and identification requirements. That could be used as a form of voter suppression now that amendment one has passed.