Florida Law May Disenfranchise New Voters

Strict Rules Aimed At Preventing Fraud May Keep Recently Registered Voters From Casting Ballots

(CBS)  It's crunch time for volunteers looking to register new voters. In Florida, Democrats and Republicans alike have registered more than 130,000 new voters in the last month alone, leaving election workers scrambling to get them all on the rolls by Election Day.

But as CBS News correspondent Kelly Cobiella reports, the state's stringent fraud prevention laws may keep some of those newly registered voters - and many others - from casting their ballots.

"This is just outrageous how many people are really into this election," says volunteer Aleisha Hodo.

The sheer volume of new voter registration applications, along with the state's so-called "no match, no vote law" has election observers worried that one mistyped number could disqualify a ballot.

"We have done the math and we have begun to look at how many people are not matched, not voting already, and it could be in the tens-of-thousands in the state of Florida," said Dierdre McNabb of The League of Women Voters.

For the first time, Florida law requires a voter's driver's license or social security number to match a state or federal database. It's done to prevent fraud. Several other swing states have similar laws, but none as strict as Florida's. Wisconsin dropped its own no match rule when a test run showed one in four voters would have been eliminated because of typos and other minor problems.

"Already we've seen that over 5,000 people, as of this last Monday, have had their voter registration applications rejected," says Tova Wang of Common Cause. "The county administrators admit that it's because of mistakes like typos and variations on people's names."

Take for example Tameka Collins. When she applied for an absentee ballot, the elections office sent her a letter saying her signature didn't match. She had to re-register last month, after being a regular voter for years.

"Now I feel like I have to go and vote in person, just to make sure it counts" Collins said.

Local election officials say they're trying to clear up the problems before Nov. 4.

"Our objective is to reach the voter as quickly as possible to resolve the issue," says Deborah Clark.

[kansas1946]

There is no way that voters should be required to share their social security number at election polls. That should be illegal, federally. I think voters should file a suit against Florida to prevent them from using SS numbers. We don''t have enough problems with idenity theft without this????

[paris1969]

kansas1946 ... how else would you know they are legal?

[Scooter68]

Oh Horrors ! Gasp ! You actually expect someone to positively identify themselves when they vote? How unamerican.

What a bunch of numb ....

[quatzecoutl]

Ballot requests and registrations are re-typed by clerks. Signatures are never "exactly" the same!

We need biometric ids to cut down on matching errors. Until we do, "anti-fraud" really equals "voter suppression".

[dburfears]

One typo and you lose your right to vote?

Only a REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATION would do this.

THIS is NOT A GOOD FAITH EFFORT TO AVOID FRAUD.

THIS IS A WAY TO SUPPRESS VOTES OF LEGITIMATE AMERICAN VOTERS.

[mominmaine]

This is criminal. You see, Republicans are anti-democracy. They couldn''t care less about who the voters really want to be president. They just think they are entitled to it and they''ll stop at nothing, including criminality, to get it.

[arich33]

here we go again with florida and something happeing with a presidential election.

[truthspeake2]

...well, at least we''ve been put on notice this time so somebody go and wakeup the Supreme Court again!

[element51]

truthspeake2....Wow...this is odd. As I was reading the story I thought almost word for word what you posted. Imagine my surprise when I read your post. Yes, like you said at least they are giving us a heads up that they are going to screw us again. It''s almost like they know that they can do it and get off scott free. Well I guess we can write off Florida.

[truthspeake2]

Well I guess we can write off Florida.

Posted by Element51 at 10:06 PM : Oct 06, 2008


Yeah, I guess we''ve been trained somewhat now that nothing is sacred in this country anymore, not our vote, our money, the constitution, our lives, or even the country we live in. You''de think that people would be tired of the karl Rove Playbook tactics by now, but obviously, racism and hatred are still in the top 5...and by any costs necessary!

[element51]

Please keep in mind that the republicans are doing stuff like this all over the country. They make a big fuss about a state that has one or two electorial votes and while attention is diverted they do their dirty work in states that have large numbers. Even if it is a popular landslide for Obama it is likely that McCain will win the electoral vote. These people are good at what they do and they''re going to be hard to beat.

[truthspeake2]

True, but what gets me is that these same folks when they get into trouble later regret how they voted while they''re busy working well past retirement or having watched their savings erode, or got their homes foreclosed on and they never learn from it!

[truthspeake2]

True, but what gets me is that these same folks when they get into trouble later regret how they voted while they''re busy working well past retirement or having watched their savings erode, or got their homes foreclosed on and they never learn from it!

[element51]

truthspeake2....I really wonder how far it will have to go before people start to pull their heads out of their arses. I have literally watched Palin tell a flat out lie, get called on it and turn right around and tell it again. But people seem more interested in having Joe Sixpack in the white house than someone with intelligence and common sense. We just lost our life savings and as I am disabled my wife has had to go back to work. So much for the retirement we had dreamed of. And if the republicans had their way I wouldn''t even be able to draw the few bucks of social security I am getting. As a teacher my lifetime earnings didn''t qualify me for a very big monthly check. A word of advice....if you have a portfolio that has not been lost, cash it in and put the money in a safe bank that has FDIC. You won''t make much but you won''t lose it all like we did.

[truthspeake2]

Posted by Element51 at 10:21 PM : Oct 06, 2008

I agree with you on this and have actually started doing so, and the same with my regular savings account because more banks are destined to go under over the next 2 years. America''s about to go the way of the Roman Empire and greed and arrogance got us here! Hang tough...cause I expect much worse in this presidential race between now and November!

[gwjackie]

O NO THE DAM REPUBLICANS ARE AT IT AGAIN!

[element51]

truthspeake2....Yeah, I didn''t even mention that the value of our house has tanked too. We sacraficed a lot so we could make double payments and get our home paid for before retirement. But the value has dropped like a rock. I feel so much anger and resentment and there is no place to get rid of it. I feel like it''s eating me up inside but I don''t know how to deal with it. I never thought things would end up like this. Any suggestions as to how to heal myself?

[truthspeake2]

Any suggestions as to how to heal myself?

Posted by Element51 at 10:27 PM : Oct 06, 2008

I wish I had some because everybody is hurting these days, and other than just riding it out, hopefully the economy and the real estate market will come back. At least you will have a roof over your head because these days a lot of folks are becoming homeless and a guy just today shot and killed himself and his family out in California because he had an MBA in finance and couldn''t find another job. Just promise me come hell or high water that you will vote and not gie in to the demons out there because it seems that their only job now is to make us powerless and hopeless...

[gwjackie]

SENIORS GUESS WHAT JOHN MCCAIN IS GOING TO PAY FOR HIS HEALTH PLAN BUY CUTTING MEDICARE,MEDICADE OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS. AND LET EVERY SENIOR JUST DO THE BEST THEY CAN. WHY WOULD ANY ONE IN THER RIGHT MIND VOTE FOR JOHN MCCAIN.

[element51]

Sky_Five....Now that you mention it I do believe I remember Saracudda mentioning the word "maverick" a time or two. I''m sure that if those two are elected the tooth fairy will institute a cost of living raise and all will be right with the world. But I won''t hold my breath.

[blackcat0451]

Vote on ISSUES


DEMAND a VOTING NETWORK so that you can vote on REAL issues, NOT on what parasite gets to such your blood. Current people in power will NOT allow citizens to vote on issues since they are making huge profits off the statuesque. People MUST demand change by NOT voting in elections, thereby forcing the government to let citizens vote on issues that the current government WILL NEVER allow. Such as:
-Financially independent government (NO TAXES)
-Laws (no politicians)
-Crime (no lawyers & judges)
-Foreign Policy (no diplomats)
-Who owns non-renewable resources (the most greedy or everyone)
-Copyright laws
-Environment protection
-Government Income
-Government Spending
-Home mortgages
-Honest Government
-Less paper work
-One government (no national, state, county, and city %u2013 just the voting network)
-Standards
-Unemployment
-War (sending soldiers or bringing them home)
-Get paid for reading SPAM & JUNK mail

[gwjackie]

Element51 i sure hate for you and your wife but if John McCain gets elected he is going to pretty well wipe out medicare and medicade also.

[element51]

Sky_five...Have you noticed the defening silence concerning the "churches" that are acting as political arms of the republican party. They claim that it''s all about the abortion issue. If those jerks cared as much about "life" as they claim to why do the want to force women to have unwanted children and as soon as they are born the pro-lifers are no where to be found? No one, I repeat, no one thinks abortion is a good thing. If I knew for sure that repealing roe vs wade would mean that there would never be another abortion I would be first in line to repeal it but I live in the REAL world and I know exactly what would happen. Thousands of women would bleed to death in back alleys or die from infection just like the good old days. But the repugs have something there that they can use to their advantage so the churches will continue to encourage their flocks to vote republican. Sorry, I went off on a rant there. Please excuse me.

[gwjackie]

There is ony one problem with the man in california that killed himself and his family he shot the wrong people. he should have made a trip to Washington.

[djred19678]

It''s OK. Obama will bus all the Florida homeless bums to Ohio.
Like one homeless dude said "Barack! I mean, I want him to do his thang. You know, do his thug thizzle. You know. That''s how I like it to be. You know."

[ragnar30066]

How rude. Up here in Ohio we allow homeless men, underaged kids, convicts and dead people to register and vote the same day. The ACORN people get a commission based upon how many people they get to register and vote, funded by the taxpayers. No wonder Obama liked working for that outfit.

[truthspeake2]

Wait until the republicans figure out its been new republicans who registered to vote that get tossed! LOL

[deedee993]

I guess the Florida Republican party are pulling their old tricks. Disenfranchise voters. So, the Democrats will have to BOYCOTT FLORIDA!!!! Enough is enough. The Florida Republican can''t ever win the fair way. What a bunch of low life babies. So BOYCOTT! Florida Orange Juice, Florida Theme Parks, etc!!! If the Government can''t stop them. The people have to.

[notopennshut]

The voters in Florida should really be worried about what is happening. Now that the republicans see that it is a toss-up state, they would do anything to disenfranchise the voters. On top, many voters are rushing over to the democrats since McShame has vowed to cut off medicare and medicad in order to pay for his health plan. So all you voters, BEWARE!! McShame has promised to provide you a credit of $5000, but will tax you for employer''s benefits to you, to the tune of $12,000. Therefore, you will be out of pocket another $7,000. Now, in order to pay the promised $5000 he will cut off portions of medicare and medicad benefits, thereby depriving the older and the poor of much needed funds. No wonder they are all running away from McShame, and to win, he is now trying to build barriers and hurdles for newly registered voters. WATCH OUT FLORIDIANS!!!

[deedee993]

I guess the Florida Republican party is pulling their old trick. Disenfranchise voters. So, the Democrats will have to BOYCOTT FLORIDA!!!! Enough is enough. The Florida Republican can''t ever win the fair way. What a bunch of low life babies. So BOYCOTT! Florida Orange Juice, Florida Theme Parks, etc!!! If the Government can''t stop them. The people have to.

[eroosevelt08]

I haven''t bought a Florida orange since that fiasco in 2004.

[emelder]

Here we go again with Republican tricks and dishonesty. Let''s get the U.S. Attorney General and the U.S. Supreme Court prepped and ready for Florida shanigans again. This election will NOT be stolen by Bush, Cheney, Rove, and McCain ... we need to have an Obama landslide to remove all doubt. Change is coming ... we''re tired of this ***! Enough!!! It''s Obama time!

[docjohn52]

--------I guess the Florida Republican party is pulling their old trick. Disenfranchise voters. So, the Democrats will have to BOYCOTT FLORIDA!!!! ------

Make sure you boycott the polls too, twit!

[docjohn52]

What do you want another four years of mcSAME, you are a fool.

Kommisar Ombamski is to the right of Stalin and just to the left of Bejing, and you might just have a position in the new world order...

I''''m thinking third comrade in charge of peoples rice farm no. 431, just south of the dallas mushroom collective...

Or would you rather be the mushroom? Need plenty of those too!


Drink some more koolaid!

[docjohn52]

-----Let''''s get the U.S. Attorney General and the U.S. Supreme Court prepped and ready for Florida shanigans again -----

Why don''t we clear up the current legal problems

How about just citizenship?

Why don''t you just show the judge your birth certificate? And close that nasty Berg lawsuit thing?

Why did you call in the ACORN lawyers to fight it? The longer you delay, the more he has cause to call you a lier... He''s now thinking there''''s something to this, and he''s a DEMOCRAT...

[docjohn52]

I''''m sorry, let''s get my facts straight, they were the CAIR lawyers, weren''t they. (The same one''s that sued micheal savage?)

For someone who''''s so desperate to prove he''''s a christian, why are you using CAIR lawyers?

How would you even know "Council on American-Islamic Relations" lawyers?

I''''m just sayin, where there''''s smoke theres fire, and I''''m gagging on the smoke...

Oh, I know, all the ACORN lawyers are in Alaska, going through Sarah''s trash.

Tell''em to be careful, I hear he''s a good shot too...

[deedee993]

I guess the Florida Republican party is pulling their old trick. Disenfranchise voters. So, the Democrats will have to BOYCOTT FLORIDA!!!! Enough is enough. The Florida Republican can''t ever win the fair way. What a bunch of low life babies. So BOYCOTT! Florida Orange Juice, Florida Theme Parks, etc!!! If the Government can''t stop them. The people have to.

[docjohn52]

com-on where''s a lib when you need one?

Come on out and drink the koolaid, stand in the rice line Komrade!

If you think the 1.8 Trillion bailout ''*** sandwich'' is a whopper, it''s nothing compared to him wanting to give the same amount EVERY YEAR to 2015, to the UN. After all, it''s just our fair share!

How bout it there O''bamaski...

Why should I pay the UN 10 trillion dollars?

Look it up, it''s the truth and it''s called the "Global Poverty TAX"

[docjohn52]

I''d hang on to the oranges, make good trade goods for when the obameister get''s in!

[docjohn52]

Florida is stopping the bull****, not ID no vote, and I''m sure ACORN and the entire chicago political machine is just thrilled by it.

Should be a federal law, bring your ID, prove you''re not dead, vote once, just like every other american.

[docjohn52]

Anybody else want to play?

You and the media have been throwing mud since this thing started, clear back to Hillary.

He''s been in my living room lying for over two years now... IT''s time, it''s ON....

Time for some truth...

Bring it lib''s where''d you go!

[docjohn52]

over 100 million of it went with Raines, straight to the Obama Advisor camp, While we''re at there Obummer...

How is it a junior senator from illinois, took in the second highest campaign contributions from the doomed freddie and fannie? Second only to the chairman of the finance committee...

How DID that happen?

[docjohn52]

I''m not throwing mud, I''m throwing truth...

Go drink the kookaid, or are you one of the bamama neo nazi''s

You know hitler youth, today, drudge, top of the left column can''t miss the indoctrination camp, pretty well funded with the camo uniforms...

[docjohn52]

90% of all soviet incursions to US airspace are over alaska, and I''m sure they want it back...

I''m also sure that every governor of every state bordering a foreign country takes the time to study their neighbor. Sortof goes with the job title wouldn''t it?

And I suppose that obummer is an expert at foreign relations or economics?

[rudy654-2009]

Florida is as crooked as a state can get. Why don''t they just pass some Jim Crow laws and be done with it?

[docjohn52]

Foreign relations yeah he went and tried to cut a deal with the Iraqis to hold any troop pullout negotiations until after the elections...

How ''bout this truth, Obama broke the Logan act and needs to go to jail for felony sedition...

Keep drinking that koolaid, and line up in that line there. Face the cliff...

And if he had launched his political career in Hitler''s front room, I''''d be calling him a NAZI too.

[rudy654-2009]

Palin:

This is Alaska and this here is water and up there is Russia. Every morning Alaskans look out their window and if they see any Russians then they ask them what are you doing here. IF they don''t have a good answer we say shoo get back over there.

[rudy654-2009]

like McSame admitting he knows nothing about economics?
*************

And apparently he didn''t!! Straight up through September he was ignoring all the signs on Wall Street and claiming that the economy was strong.

[docjohn52]

And I believe if you check it was the Supreme Court that stole your election, Floridians apprently can''t vote to save themselves, which also says something about living in a state the get flattened by a hurricane four times in one year, then wants a bailout to rebuild their house...

To quote a great comedian "Send them suitcases!"

[docjohn52]

Apparently you didn''t hear that he was on board yelling about freddy and fannie in 2005 just as Bush was at least two years earlier, and they were both shouted down by Barney Frank, and a host of dems and repubs that said no problem...

This started actually 15 years ago with Clinton, Many many lawsuits by ACORN and one suit even filed by Obamaski hisself...

FOR PEOPLE who had no business buying homes, minority poor my fannymae! Illegal Aliens, a ton of them...

I can point you right at his pawprints in it if you''de like, but then again, he''s the one isn''t he!