Thousands in Florida may be turned away at polls due to faulty registratio

[Kadie]

Thousands in Florida may be turned away at polls due to faulty registration

BRENDAN FARRINGTON, Associated Press Writer
Friday, October 1, 2004


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(10-01) 16:38 PDT TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) --

Thousands of Floridians who think they're registered to vote could be turned away at the polls Nov. 2 because their voter registration forms weren't completely filled out, officials said Friday.

Secretary of State Glenda Hood said some groups registering voters are turning in application forms with information missing, such as unchecked boxes asking whether applicants are citizens, mentally incompetent or felons.

A group that's been seeking copies of the incomplete applications in an effort to help people complete them said Hood's office, citing state law, has begun blocking them.

"Clearly, way over the number that could determine the election" won't be able to vote, said Judith Browne, a lawyer with the Washington-based Advancement Project, which promotes multiracial participation in voting. She was referring to President Bush's disputed 537-vote victory in Florida that gave him the presidency in 2000.

During that election, state and local election officials were criticized on a host of issues, from people mistakenly removed from voter rolls to the infamous "butterfly ballot" in Palm Beach County that may have led Al Gore supporters to vote for third-party candidate Pat Buchanan instead.

more...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/10/01/politics1938EDT0760.DTL

[Emboldened Chimp]

1. Here we go again....

:grr:

[Joylaughter]

2. Jim Crow Alive and Well

and living in FLA.

[graywarrior]

3. We will start a revolution like no one has ever seen before

I just re-registered because I moved due to my house being destroyed by Jeanne. I did not know my zip code, and the clerk said she would fill it in for me. Dumb move. Think I better mosie on back down and fill it in myself.

[alittlelark]

7. sorry about your house

:-(

re-registering is a good idea though!

[booksenkatz]

9. ...and here he is!

An old graphic I made back in 2000... still applies.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

4. Of COURSE they can't reach a lot by phone

Their HOMES were ravaged by hurricanes!

[skylarmae]

5. If Florida messes up the election again - will there be any consequences?

Should there be or should we just let this keep happening and
happening. I thought after what we all went through in 2000
this mess would be fixed. FUCK, DO I HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING MYSELF?

[struggle4progress]

26. Many more people will be inclined to make the country ungovernable.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

6. that happened to me before the primaries

i didnt check a correct box so they sent it back. when i checked the form to make sure everything was correct, i found that they had typoed my ssn. so i corrected THAT and sent it back.

[gardenista]

8. There is a teeeeeeny-tiiiiiiiny U.S. Citizen checkbox on the CA form

I worry that some will be turned away because the box isn't checked. Whenever registering voters, I've made sure that the box is checked, but a lot of people miss it the first time.

[oscar111]

11. Canada doesnt register any voter:tax returns automatically create voter

lists for them.

Tell all about canada, since many cannot even imagine getting rid of registering totally. Many cannot think out of the box.

If lots want to end registering , THEN we will be rid of it. But you must first tell all about Canada.

PS many nations also have several days for each election. Not one.

[gardenista]

17. That would be great if we could do it here.

Don't know why in the world we don't already.

[bluestateguy]

10. Didn't you get the memo?

Votin's for the white folks!

[Aunt Anti-bush]

14. Is that true?

Did some Florida residents actually get a mailer (mostly in black neighborhoods) saying that they shouldn't bother voting and that their votes wont be counted? My mother heard that somewhere and I wanted to know if it's true.

[camero]

12. Signatures will be another problem

You know they will be looking for the slightest deviation of a signature in order to throw it out. Everyone has a little different signature everytime they put their John Hancock somewhere.

[fishnfla]

13. the deadline is Mon at 5pm.

Plenty of time :rolleyes:

[americanwomanone]

15. If They're Voting for Bush That's a good thing! n/t

[bluestateguy]

16. They are mostly non-white voters registered by liberal groups

And even if they were white Republican Bush lovers, that's not how I want to win the election.

[Habibi]

18. Sorry if this has been answered

I'm tired and not focusing very well--but does Florida election law allow for a provisional ballot? In other words, if there is some question about one's registration when one goes to the polls, can one demand a provisional ballot?

I can go to a battleground state and help people vote on election day. Is there an organization that is rounding up people like me?

[bluestateguy]

21. It's now federal law

But I don't think provisional ballots would do much good here. You still have to be registered to vote. If you aren't registered because the SecState says you did not do the paperwork correctly, you can cast a provisional ballot, but in the end it won't be counted.

[Carolab]

27. Go HERE

http://www.americavotes.org/action/signup.cfm#election

[LiberalFighter]

19. Citizens, mentally incompetent or felons?

OATH: I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Florida. I am qualified to register as an elector under the Constitution and laws of the State of Florida. I am a U.S. citizen. I am a legal resident of Florida. All information on this form is true. I understand that if it is not true, I can be convicted of a felony of the third degree and fined up to $5,000 and/or imprisoned for up to five years.


Doesn't the oath cover that??

The protect and defend the constitution is not relevant for voter registration.

[LiberalFighter]

20. Oh... wouldn't that disqualify Jeb and his people...

since they are all mentally incompetent!!!

[Polemonium]

22. This is democracy?

Disgusting :argh:

[0rganism]

23. We need to see the stats for intended registrant party affilliation, NOW

I don't know if an FOIA suit would work vs. Florida, but we need to have something going just to make it tough for the thugs. They'll find a way to steal Florida again, what with Gov'nor br'er Jeb and Sec. Hood, but it shouldn't be EASY.

[acmavm]

24. I'd be more than willing to bet that any flawed republican registrations

are being taken home and fixed just like they did with the republican absentee ballots in the 2000 election. There wasn't anyone fixing the dems faulty ballots, hell no. But they made damn sure that the republicans got all their's counted.

[Kadie]

25. kick n/t