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Voter Database Under Fire

May 31st, 2012 by Mike Vasilinda

New concerns are being raised tonight from elections supervisors across the state. The Supervisors are being asked to remove non-citizens from their rolls, but as Mike Vasilinda tells us, doubts about the accuracy and legality of the push are being questioned.

Voters registration forms require would be voters to check whether they are a citizen. If not, they can’t register. The state now says thousands of names have slipped through the database that shouldn’t have. But, in Palm Beach County, Supervisor Susan Bucher has found that some of the questionable names are based on decade old information.

“We, in fact, need credible and reliable information, that’s what the law requires and I did not believe that this was credible information,” Bucher said.

Six groups have asked the state to stop the purge. They cite Federal law which says no names can be removed within 90 days of an election unless due to death, criminal conviction, or mental incapacity. The state concedes the list isn’t perfect but it’s moving forward anyway.

“We disagree with that interpretation of the law, and we’re going to continue our process to remove ineligible voters because we have an obligation and a duty to remove ineligible voters,” Florida Elections Spokesman Chris Cate said.

Ion Sancho, who overseas elections in the state capital, says he isn’t removing any names until he gets an okay from the U.S. Government.

“Before we can proceed further, I need to have clarification as to whether or not these actions by the state of Florida are legal,” Sancho said.

If a voter shows up on election day and has been removed from the rolls, but doesn’t know it, they will still be allowed to cast a provisional ballot.

The problem was highlighted when a 91-year-old World War Two veteran who has voted all his life was wrongly labeled a non citizen by the state.

The debate has become political. The Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida says the faulty list is the Obama administrations problem because it won’t share an accurate homeland security list with the state.

Posted in Civil Rights, Elections, State News | 12 Comments »

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