Florida Supervisor of Elections: Gov. Scott’s Voter Purge Will Remove Eligible Voters From Rolls

[Galraedia]

Source: ThinkProgress

According to the Broward County Supervisor of Elections, eligible voters will be removed from the voting rolls as a result of the massive voter purge ordered by Governor Rick Scott. “It will happen,” Mary Cooney, a spokeswoman for the Broward County Supervisor of Elections, told ThinkProgress.

Late last year, Governor Scott ordered his Secretary of State, Kurt Browning to “to identify and remove non-U.S. citizens from the voter rolls.” Browning could not get access to reliable citizenship data. So Scott urged election officials to identify non-U.S. citizens by comparing data from the state motor vehicle administration with the voting file.

That process produced a massive list of 182,000 names, which Browning considered unreliable. The Fair Elections Legal Network, which is challenging the purge, noted that database matching is “notoriously unreliable” and “data entry errors, similar-sounding names, and changing information can all produce false matches.” Further, some voters may have naturalized since their driver’s license information was collected.

Browing resigned in February. But Scott has pressed forward with his efforts to purge voters from the rolls based on the dubious list. Here’s the letter Maureen Russo, a U.S. citizen and registered voter in Florida for the last 40 years, recieved two weeks ago:

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/05/26/490971/florida-supervisor-of-elections-scott-voter-purge-remove-eligible-voters/

[Kingofalldems]

1. It's called voter suppression.

[Occulus]

15. It should be called treason.

[L0oniX]

2. Lie, cheat and steal ...it's the American way.

[lark]

6. It's definitely Rick Scott's way

I tell you the man is a devil, there is not one shred of good in him. He makes me totally sick.

[magical thyme]

3. it's called time for a class-action lawsuit

For every legitimate voter who is prevented from performing their constitution right (and some would say duty).

[goclark]

7. Why can't all those that try to vote and are suppressed

do something!

I don't get it ~ why did the Democrats wait all this time for voters to be suppressed and have that man win.

Even if they proved it was Suppression in court wouldn't it be way to late to do anything about it?

[The Wielding Truth]

4. Do they have the right to disobey, let them vote and have the Gov. prove them not worthy in court?

It's so wrong. Where must we draw the line on injustice?

[WinstonSmith4740]

5. I'm just speechless...

These bastards know they can't beat Obama in anything that vaguely resembles a fair election, so they have to keep his likely voter AWAY from the polls. And the pathetic thing is, there are lots of people out there who think that there's got to be some justification for taking those 182,000 people off the roles.

[Loge23]

8. I thought threats to democracy were acts of terrorism.

But if it's a republican governor I guess it's all right.

[CanonRay]

9. So why aren't the Dems going to court to block this shit

before it is too late?

[Iliyah]

10. Didn't you know that

when goppers say and do horrilbe things they blame the Dems for it. Voter fraud, Acorn (although there was no evidence of it), and therefore they use that as the main reason for the so called voter suppression laws. They call Dems Nazi like, but the GOP emulate the Nazis more, yes my friends, the GOPs and it seems like their religious partners, ie Catholic Bishops and the crazed RW are in cahoots in tearing down America's democrary. These so called Christians are hateful people.

[sakabatou]

11. No shit, they was probably the point

[Alexander]

12. Looks like a 2nd Crist term would've been preferable to this assclown.

At least Crist was relatively honest and made sure people could vote in Florida in 2008.

[sulphurdunn]

13. Where is the DOJ?

Where is the OCR? Collier, Hardee, Hendry, Hillsborough and Monroe Counties are still covered under the Section 5 preclearance provision of the Voting Rights Act, just as they were in 2000.

[McCamy Taylor]

14. DOJ? Calling the DOJ?

[Crow73]

16. This is why.

According to statistics from the Pew Hispanic Center, Hispanics make up 13.1 percent of the state’s registered voters. But unlike in 2006, when a plurality of them were registered Republicans, they are now slightly more likely to be Democrats — a trend that started in 2008. Today, more Hispanics in Florida are registered as Democrats (564,500) than as Republicans (452,600), according to Pew.

http://nbclatino.tumblr.com/post/16582253500/floridas-latino-vote-is-up-for-grabs

[Hatchetman]

17. Same ole

Just like the 2000 elections,crooked bastards!

[newspeak]

30. my thoughts exactly!!!

same shite. Want to see our banana republic reality? just look to florida.

[Blue Owl]

18. All part of Florida's "Ground Your Stand" law (for Democrats only)

Not voting GOP? YOU'RE GROUNDED.

Sincerely,
Gov. Rick Scott

[Skelly]

19. I live in FL

I am a registered voter for 5 years. This isn't affecting ME personally (at least not yet), but I feel like I need to do something. Any suggestions?

[HockeyMom]

21. Get a Passport

I know it's expensive, but if you want to be safe, it is worth it. Let them argue with the Federal Government that you aren't a citizen.

Maybe we need to get the word out to ALL Florida residents to get one. Plus, any gay couple married in a another state will have major problems with name changes in Florida. Florida will not recognize a gay marriage license from other states, but they MUST recognize the name on a US Passport.

Last election, I had an incident just being a Democrat. This time I will bring my Passport with me.

[Skelly]

22. Good idea

I already have a passport. Had not thought of taking it to the polls. However, I was asking "what can I do" in a larger sense, not for me, but in general. What can I do to counteract the voter purges?

[goclark]

24. The drivers photo ID doesn't work?

It is hard to believe that we let the Rethugs jump ahead on this issue and we are left hanging without ID.

This issue has been front and center for at least a year.

[HockeyMom]

25. Born in Ohio, lived in Florida 40 years, owns a business

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/05/25/490678/eligible-florida-voter-governor-rick-scott-purged/

I will assume this woman has a Florida Drivers License. I wonder if she is a registered Democrat?

[iamthebandfanman]

20. its 2000 all over again..

wheee!!!!!!!!

[goclark]

23. Wake Up Voters ~ I live far away

from that State but it doesn't take a Brain Surgeon to know that this "last minute surprise" was going to happen.

WAKE UP DEMOCRATS!

[fascisthunter]

26. it's called tyranny and an affront to Democracy itself which right wingers love

[Quantess]

27. Repugnant.

[nobodyspecial]

28. And they'll drag it out in court

so it won't be fixed in time for November.

People behind this should be in jail. It's one thing to lie in your campaign, but to take away people's right to vote is despicable. I thought they loved the Constitution.

[Odin2005]

29. This fascist needs to be removed.

[AJTheMan]

31. On Florida

I've heard that they're mostly going after Democrats.

[Daniel537]

32. Great, just fucking great.

My mom became a citizen just last month, first thing she did was register to vote, now i'm going to be checking her status every week from here to November to make sure she's not knocked off the rolls. Welcome to Flori-duh.