Chabad of Surfside, United Orthodox Synagogues of Surfside, multiple rabbis, and individual voters filed an emergency lawsuit to postpone a mayoral election in Surfside, Florida, by one week until after Passover. Plaintiffs are seeking a temporary injunction blocking the April 7 runoff and asking that it be rescheduled to April 14—or another date that does not conflict with Passover, which runs April 1-9 this year. Passover is a time during which many traditionally observant Jews are prohibited from activities including driving, writing, and using electronics. The lawsuit alleges that the election violates Florida’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act by imposing a substantial burden on observant Jewish voters. The Center filed an amicus brief in support of the preliminary injunction arguing that Surfside is forcing thousands of Jewish voters (approximately 2,500 of the town’s approximately 5,700 residents are Jewish) to choose between their religious observance of God’s command to honor Passover and their right to vote—a choice that substantially burdens their free exercise of religion.
