Registered voters who affiliate with certain political parties would be classified as non-affiliated under proposed legislation that would de-certify political parties that supported pro-slavery sentiments in the past.
Filed in the Florida Senate on Feb. 28 SB 1248, the Ultimate Cancel Act would if passed, immediately de-certify any political party that previously advocated for slavery in their party platform and would render voters registered as belonging to that party, non-party affiliated (NPA).
Specifically, the measure refers to Florida’s Democratic Party, according to its sponsor State Sen. Blaise Ingoglia (R-Spring Hill).
“For years now, leftist activists have been trying to ‘cancel’ people and companies for things they have said or done in the past,” he said. “Using this standard, it would be hypocritical not to cancel the Democrat Party itself for the same reason.”
Historically, the Florida Democratic Party was co-founded in 1821 by President Andrew Jackson, who was then the state’s territorial governor. The party included pro-slavery positions in its platforms during its political conventions in 1840, 1844, 1856, 1860, and 1864.
More recently, the Democratic Party was predominant in the state from the 1950s to the 1990s until Florida became a swing state through the 2010s.
If passed and signed into law, SB 1248 will go into effect on July 1.
