Secretary Detzner Recognizes Women’s Equality Day

Department’s Florida Memory program featuring online exhibits to commemorate history of women’s suffrage in Florida

Tallahassee –

Today, Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner issued the following statement recognizing Women’s Equality Day, which commemorates the 1920 ratification of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, granting women the right to vote.

“Less than 100 years ago women could not vote in the United States. Today women often outnumber men as active registered voters across the country,” said Secretary Detzner. “We commemorate the 95 year anniversary of women being granted the right to vote and the leaders who made female suffrage possible. This national event reminds us of how important it is to understand and participate in the electoral process. I encourage all Floridians to explore the many historical, statistical and voting-related resources available through the Department of State.”

To commemorate the historical and cultural significance of Women’s Equality Day, the Florida Department of State’s award-winning Florida Memory program is featuring online exhibits and posts related to the history of women’s suffrage in Florida, including:

• A blog post entitled, “Women’s Equality Day.” This post provides an overview of the women’s suffrage movement in Florida and pays homage to some of its most significant leaders including Caroline Mays Brevard, the granddaughter of Florida territorial governor Richard Keith Call; Ivy Stranahan, an early advocate of women’s suffrage in Florida; and Mary Mann Jennings, Florida’s First Lady during the administration of her husband, Governor William S. Jennings.
• A document showing the “Ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment by the Florida Legislature, 1969.” Though Florida would pass a law in 1921 that provided the right to vote to all residents, it was not until 1969 that Florida joined the ranks of states that had previously ratified the 19^th amendment in 1920-21.
• Online photo exhibits featuring notable women in Florida history. The exhibits feature renowned women’s rights activists such as Roxcy Bolton. Another exhibit explores the contributions of Florida women who have served in law enforcement, nursing, fire and rescue, and in various capacities during World War II.

For information about voting, voter registration and related statistics, the Department’s Division of Elections has many resources and tools available to the public on its webpage at dos.myflorida.com/elections. These include, but are not limited to:

• Instructions and forms on how to register to vote/update voter registration information.
• Polling place accessibility information for persons with disabilities.
• Information for United States uniformed services members and their families and citizens living overseas.
• A voter information look-up page where voters can check on their voter registration status, find their polling place, and check on the status of requested absentee ballots.
• Key dates for voter registration deadlines, absentee ballot ‘send’ deadlines, and election/early voting period dates.

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About Florida Memory

Florida Memory provides free online access to significant photographs, films, sound recordings and original documents from the collections of the State Library and Archives of Florida. With over seven million visitors per month worldwide, Florida Memory chooses materials for digitization that illuminate significant events and individuals in the state's history and helps educate Floridians and millions of people around the world about Florida history and culture. Florida Memory is funded under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the Florida Department of State's Division of Library and Information Services. For more information, visit floridamemory.com.

About the Division of Elections

The Florida Department of State’s Division of Elections supports the Secretary of State, Florida’s chief election officer, in ensuring that Florida has fair and accurate elections. The Division’s three bureaus; the Bureau of Election Records, Bureau of Voter Registration Services, and Bureau of Voting Systems Certification, have several responsibilities in the areas of legal compliance and elections administration to ensure that Florida’s election laws are uniformly interpreted and implemented.  The Division also assists local Supervisors of Elections in their duties, and promotes enhanced public awareness and participation in the electoral process. For more information about Florida’s elections, visit dos.myflorida.com/elections/.