Is FL's Voter Purge Initiating a Constitutional Crisis?
By louisehartmann
A Constitutional crisis could be brewing between the state of Florida and the Federal Government. On Wednesday – Florida Governor Rick Scott sent a letter to the Department of Justice informing it that the state will continue with its statewide voter purge effort, despite warning form the DOJ that the state is in violation of the Voting Rights Act and the Voter Registration Act. The Miami Herald reports that the letter “dares the Justice Department to sue Florida.”
Governor Scott claims the voter purge is necessary to ensure undocumented immigrants don’t vote in this year’s election, however all 67 country election supervisors in Florida have pledged to not comply with Governor Scott – since the purge lists his administration has compiled are riddled with errors – leading to legal citizens losing their voting rights. Keep an eye on this story.
Comments
#2
How many undocumented people voted in '08 or '10?
#3
When Floridians fill out their voter registraion cards, they sign it where it states that they "swear or affirm" that they meet the requirements (which includes citizenship in the US and FL). This is the null hypothosis, which means it is accepted UNLESS PROVEN INCORRECT. Then to remove them from the voter rolls, doesn't the state have to go to court, indite them for perjuty, and have it adjudicated by a judge before they can remove them for not being qualified?
#4
Excuse me, but us southern men don't need you around, anyhow.
#5
These rightwing nut jobs are on a real power trip. They think they're ten feet tall and bullet proof. I think the Federal Government should sue the State or whatever other options they have to put these egomaniacs in their proper place. Right now they seem to have a God complex. I'm glad the election supervisors have the good sense to ignore this ignoramus, maybe there are still a few sane people left in Florida that understand what voting and democracy are about.
#6
Speaking as a native Floridian with 30 years in and around the landscape and or restaurant business, my daily experience with "illegals" is that they don't even have checking accounts, much less voter registration cards.
The last thing an illegal resident wants is a paper trail, or to fill out any sort of official form, if they even read English. They have their own sub-culture and way of doing business which avoids the mainstream.
It is ridiculous to suggest that there is a voting block of illegal residents. Especially when so many groups of illegals don't even get along with each other. They are busy trying to survive under the radar. These are not people concerned with politics.
An immigrant who has become a citizen is a different case entirely.
#7
Lawless rightwing zealots like Scott have obstructed and messed with our democracy beyond all measure and tolerance. "We The People," need to obstruct right back and shut down the worlds of these out of control maniacs. They have made our worlds miserable by pitting worker against fellow worker, making it easy for the wealthy few to pick our pockets clean.
We know who they are, the radical republicans on the Supreme Court, the Kochs, the republican teabagger congress and Governors, Rove, Fox, and the like. It's high time to fight dirty just as they have, ......rise up.....go EXTREME OCCUPY....shut down and obstruct everything we can..... related to who they are and what they stand for.
It's Government of the people, by the people, for the people, not of the Kochs, by the Kochs, and for the Kochs. Unionize every business we can, form cooperatives, barter, bank at local credit unions, buy local, UNITE!
That's what I think!
#8
Purge Scott!!!
#9
It is sad though that anyone would want to allow Illegal Immigrants, convicted felons, and dead people to vote. It almost appears, through the lack of "working together" that the DOJ wants to make a doorway for all those who do not have the right to vote to do so.
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It appears that people want to force a breaking of the constitution by trying to tell a state that they have to concentrate and allow non-citizens, felons, and dead people the right to vote.
#10
Screwing around with a citizens right to vote is the final and ultimate desecration of what's left of our democracy. As a crime against the Constitution, it needs to be dealth with quickly and severely. Scott should not be allowed to buy his way out this time around.
Monkey wrenching the democratic process in this manner is a desperate attempt to gain enough political power in November to maintain control of the supreme court and ram the Ryan budget plan through. If this happens even the most fox-merized among us will be left standing in a stunned state of bewilderment..... with many more, jobless, homeless, and hungry. Almost everyone will be guaranteed old age poverty and unaffordable healthcare.
Here's one idea on how to fight back right now before it's too late. Raise some money, hold bake sales, whatever it takes. With the proceeds buy ad space exposing the Ryan budget plan in your local pennysavers, newspapers, etc. If your representative voted yes, showcase his name and the fact that he's a republican. Get the point across that a vote for him is a vote for the plan. Trust me, most are totally unaware of Ryan and this republican attack on humanity, just as most are unaware of the method Romney has used for self-enrichment. We can thank the corp. mass media for this planned lack of information, so let's take it upon ourselves to inform citizens about the most important issues regarding their general welfare. Publications like pennysavers go locally free to millions of households!
#11
Kudos to the 67 Florida county election supervisors, Democratic and Republican, who are standing strong against Scott and his efforts at voter suppression!
#12
You are a real fart smeller! Oops, I mean smart feller!
#13
Time to invoke the XIV Amendment, Sec. 2:
But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.
#14
If the DOJ doesn't sue Rick Scott and get their best lawyers on this case, then we have lost democracy altogether. The DOJ needs to come down hard on all these voter suppression tactics and voter ID laws. I am ashamed to say that I am from Wisconsin where the governor has won the recent recall vote and continues to try to get his voter ID bill through the court battles where we are trying (and so far succeeding) to get it struck down. This issue is as important as the Move to Amend issue, and I will be working for both.
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Why let anyone in florida "vote"?