Voter Protection

As the son of a public servant, Kendrick learned the importance of civic participation and voting early on.

Kendrick has been a champion for equal voting rights for all Floridians. He has consistently fought to expand access to the ballot box and increase voter participation. Kendrick has been one of the strongest proponents in Florida of early voting.

In 2008, Kendrick met with elections officials in Broward and Miami-Dade counties to make sure that adequate resources were available to meet the demands of voters who wanted to participate in early voting. When those resources weren't available, Kendrick threatened to sue if voting delays weren't addressed. He also joined other Democrats in calling for an extension of early voting hours to reduce long waits at the polls and to allow for more voters to participate in our democratic system.

In 2000 and 2004, Kendrick stood on the front lines defending the rights of his constituents and thousands of other Floridians who had their votes discarded in the 2000 presidential election. Leading up to that election, he worked to help register thousands of voters and promoted the "Arrive with 5" program, where voters were asked to help five of their family members and friends get registered and vote.

With the memory of the 2000 election not forgotten and given persistent hurdles voters face at the ballot box, Kendrick stands for free and fair elections that allow all Americans to fully participate. Kendrick wants voters to have confidence that their vote will be counted accurately. He has supported legislation introduced by Congressman Rush Holt to require a voter-verified paper trail, mandatory surprise recounts and expanded voting access to Americans with disabilities. Kendrick also supports legislation that would criminalize certain tactics used to intimidate and deceive voters.