Fla. Official Sued in Registration Flap

[cal04]

The Florida Democratic Party accused Secretary of State Glenda Hood of violating federal law when she told elections supervisors across the state that they should reject incomplete voter-registration forms.


Hood's office told counties they should disqualify voters who failed to check a box confirming they're U.S. citizens, even if they signed an oath on the same form swearing they are. She and other state officials have maintained that state and federal laws require the box to be checked.

In a federal lawsuit filed Thursday in Tallahassee, Democratic officials urged a judge to order Hood to reverse those instructions to the state's 67 counties. "This issue is so clear-cut to me," said Scott Maddox, chairman of the Florida Democratic Party. "The Secretary of State's Office says they want to err on the side of the voter, yet they want to disenfranchise people."

The lawsuit marks the fourth time since August that the Democratic Party has taken Hood and her office to court.The Democrats were expected to argue in federal court Friday against the state law that requires provisional ballots to be cast in a voter's precinct.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=536&e=5&u=/ap/20041008/ap_on_el_pr/florida_voting_democrats

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. So...it's only the citizenship box?

Does this only apply to the citizenship box?

[Misunderestimator]

2. Yes, this particular case is about the citizenship box.

[KDLarsen]

4. It even made the news over here..

.. and people are really being baffled about, especially since the citizenship is confirmed elsewhere on the registration application.

[Cerridwen]

3. I've noticed the repubs are really reaching these days

first it's the weight of paper, now it's a check box.

Amazing how suddenly they're so specific about the details and the rules...when it applies to others.

[Catfight]

5. Florida has failed to make this election any more valid than 2000.

I think Hood should be fired by Jeb Bush.

[PDX Bara]

6. Florida Election

Jeb Bush should be "fired" too.

[Supersedeas]

7. what your box is not checked-then your sworn oath is meaningless

More Rovian Democracy in Action

[henslee]

8. A link to my post in 2004 -a huge, immed. FLA protest is the only solution

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=1003088#

Screw the courts. Look what "polite" got us last time.

[Polemonium]

9. Rethugs want no part of democracy

Hood needs to be canned now.