▁including ▁a ▁quad ren n ial ▁president ial ▁election , ▁and ▁a ▁U . S . ▁Senate ▁election . ▁The ▁primary ▁elections ▁were ▁held ▁August ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁ ▁Red istrict ing ▁In ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁Florida ▁vot ers ▁passed ▁two ▁am end ments ▁to ▁the ▁Florida ▁Constitution ▁which ▁would ▁require ▁Cong r essional ▁and ▁state ▁legisl ative ▁District s ▁to ▁be ▁compact ▁and ▁follow ▁ge ographical ▁boundaries , ▁thereby ▁prevent ing ▁ger ry m and ering . ▁Short ly ▁after ▁the ▁am end ments ▁were ▁passed ▁U . S . ▁Representatives ▁Cor r ine ▁Brown ▁and ▁Mario ▁Dia z - Bal art ▁file d ▁a ▁law suit ▁asking ▁that ▁the ▁am end ment ▁concerning ▁Cong r essional ▁District s ▁be ▁declared ▁invalid . ▁Brown ▁and ▁Dia z - Bal art ▁alleg ed ▁that ▁the ▁power ▁to ▁change ▁rules ▁for ▁con gression al ▁red istrict ing ▁lies ▁exclus ively ▁with ▁the ▁state ▁legisl ature , ▁and ▁as ▁such ▁cannot ▁be ▁changed ▁through ▁a ▁refer endum ; ▁however ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁a ▁three - jud ge ▁panel ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ▁U . S . ▁Circ uit ▁Court ▁of ▁App e als ▁rejected ▁their ▁arguments . ▁ ▁Red istrict ing ▁legisl ation ▁which ▁would ▁create ▁one ▁new ▁district ▁each ▁in ▁North ▁Florida ▁and ▁Central ▁Florida ▁was ▁passed ▁by ▁a ▁committee ▁of ▁the ▁Florida ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives ▁on ▁January ▁ 2 7 , ▁by ▁the ▁full ▁House ▁of