Equal Ground Education Fund

In April 2022, the Equal Ground Education Fund filed a joint lawsuit against Florida’s Secretary of State Cord Byrd (R) after Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) approved a redistricting effort that the state government affirmed was “race-neutral.” The lawsuit claimed the redistricting was discriminatory against Black communities for breaking up majority-Black districts. ²

Background

The Equal Ground Education Fund is a Florida-based left-of-center nonprofit organization that engages in voter registration and education initiatives. ³ During the 2020 presidential election, the Equal Ground Education Fund hired over 100 people to register voters by canvassing, mostly at festivals and college events. It states that it focuses on ethnic minorities and has a “specific emphasis” on registering Black voters. ¹

The Equal Ground Education Fund has filed lawsuits against election integrity policies in Florida that restrict how involved third-party voter registration organizations can be in the registration process, claiming they are discriminatory against Black voters as such organizations register Black voters at higher rates. ⁴

Litigation

Senate Bill 7050

In May 2023, the Equal Ground Education Fund filed a lawsuit alongside the Florida State Conference of Branches and Youth Units of the NAACP, Voters of Tomorrow, Disability Rights Florida, Alianza for Progress, the Alianza Center, UnidosUS, and the Florida branch of the Alliance for Retired Americans against Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd (R), Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) and all of Florida’s county supervisors of elections. ⁴

The lawsuit challenges Senate Bill 7050 for its provisions that impose fines on third-party voter registration organizations for late-returned voter registrations or submissions to the wrong county, prohibit convicted felons and noncitizens from engaging in voter registration activities, and criminalize retaining voter information for purposes outside of voter registration. It claims the bill violates the First and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution because it claims ethnic minorities are five times as likely to register to vote through a third party. ⁴

The Equal Ground Education Fund’s lawsuit against Senate Bill 7050 also challenges the provision prohibiting anyone other than a voter or an immediate family member from requesting a mail-in ballot on behalf of a voter. ⁴

In February 2024, a district court judge upheld Senate Bill 7050’s provision prohibiting felons from engaging in voter registration activities, and in May 2024, a district court judge issued a partial summary judgment, ruling that Senate Bill 7050 cannot prohibit noncitizens from engaging in voter registration activities on behalf of a third-party organization. ⁵

2022 Redistricting

In April 2022, the Equal Ground Education Fund alongside the League of Women Voters of Florida, the Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute, and Florida Rising Together filed a lawsuit against Florida’s Secretary of State Cord Byrd (R) that alleges the state’s congressional map does not comply with the “Fair Districts” amendment of the Florida Constitution. The lawsuit criticizes Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) for attempting to create a “race-neutral” map and argues that Black voters are being discriminated against because districts were created without preserving Black majorities. ^{6 7}

Advocacy

In June 2024, the Equal Ground Education Fund published a blog post criticizing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R)for signing the 2025 budget without increasing funding for voter education, polling, and so-called “overall election access.” It also criticizes a lack of funding for criminal justice, education, social services, and what it describes as “affordability.” The post claims that increased funding in these areas is necessary to prevent the marginalization of ethnic minority communities. ⁸

Financials

In 2022, the Equal Ground Education Fund reported $1.06 million in total revenue and $900,377 in total expenses, including $364,645 in salaries for non-executive employees. ^{9 10}

People

Jasmine Burney-Clark is the founder of the Equal Ground Education Fund and its 501(c)(4) sister organization, the Equal Ground Education Action Fund, and sits on the boards of both organizations. Previously, she has worked as a senior advisor to the NAACP, for Geraldine Thompson’s (D-FL) Florida Senate campaign, for NextGen Climate, and for Supreme Court Judicial Retention. She also worked as executive director of the Florida Civic Engagement Table. ¹¹