As the GOP-controlled Legislature pushes ahead with a widespread elections bill, those pushing the bill deny that it has anything to do with targeting voters who could be voting Democratic in next year's crucial presidential election.
Instead the rallying cry behind the bill has been that the legislation is needed in order to combat voter fraud.
"We have to protect this election process and operate it correctly so that result has integrity for everyone of you,'' said Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala and sponsor of the House version - HB 1355. "We have to protect this election process and operate it correctly so that result has integrity for everyone of you. If the vote matters as much to you as it does to me, why don’t you want to protect it?"
Rep. Eric Eisnaugle, R-Orlando, got up on the House floor and said that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has repeatedly been called into look at voter fraud across the state.
Eisnaugle did not cite any specific examples during his House floor remarks. But when asked about it later, a House press person produced four documents.
Several of them dealt with allegations of voter registration fraud. The proposed elections bill would impose new restrictions on third-party voter registration groups, a move which has brought the threat of litigation from the League of Women Voters, which successfully sued in the past over restrictions.
Eisnaugle produced a news story from 2004 that cited that FDLE has said up a statewide task force to investigate allegations regarding absentee ballots and other types of voter fraud. FDLE did in fact set up this task force on the eve of the 2004 elections - but that task force did not wind up arresting anyone or charging anyone.
Arrests were made in 2009 in connection to voter registration fraud and Eisnaugle included a Fox News story about it.
According to an FDLE release associated with the same arrests, 11 people connected with the now-defunct Association for Community Reform Now (ACORN) were charged with falsifying voter registration forms. But that press release also points out that it was ACORN itself that discovered problems with the registration forms from 2008 and reported it to the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, which then passed on the information to FDLE and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
"Quality control workers at ACORN noticed that some of the phone numbers listed on the application were out of service or incorrect and that the handwriting or signatures on the applications were similar,'' states the release.
The news story cited by Eisnaugle includes a statement from Katherine Fernandez Rundle that no one associated with the false forms actually voted.
Eisnaugle also cited a voter registration form that included the name Mickey Mouse on it. A St. Petersburg Times story from 2008 does say that someone did fill out the form with that name on it. But the Times story also notes that the voter registration form was rejected by Orange County elections officials.
Lastly, Eisnaugle included a report from the Equal Justice Foundation regarding voter fraud and FDLE. The organization is based in Colorado and also has information on its website that says no-fault divorce laws were orchestrated by radical feminists and borrowed from the Soviets and that women are just as likely, or more likely to engage in domestic violence as men.
The EJI report deals primarily with allegations regarding absentee ballot fraud which was in fact widely documented back in '90s and was the primary reason that a mayoral election in Miami was overturned. The report cited by Eisnaugle even calls absentee ballots the "tool of choice" in fraud.
Here's a copy of the report: Download Voter fraud report
It's worth nothing that absentee ballot allegations were also at the center of an FDLE investigation involving elections in Orlando where Mayor Buddy Dyer was accused of paying someone to collect absentee ballots. (A law put in place following the Miami election.) The charges, however, against Dyer were dismissed by prosecutors who said there was "no evil intent" in relation to the incident.
The House bill that was passed last week does not make widespread changes to absentee ballots.
It does include a provision that all absentee ballots must now include a warning on them that tell voters that signature on absentee ballots must match those on file at the elections office or the ballot won't count. The bill also includes a new provision that limits the ability of a court to overrule a canvassing board decision to reject an absentee ballot.
But the biggest change that could affect absentee ballot fraud is a controversial change that forces someone who wishes to change their address on Election Day to vote a provisional ballot.
The argument behind this change is to make sure that no one can vote twice - once by absentee and then again on Election Day. It would appear to affect college students since this prohibition only applies to those who are changing their address from one county to another.
Florida law, however, also requires that provisional ballots must be cast in the right precinct or the ballot is invalid. So there is a chance that a college student who shows up at the wrong polling place will not have their ballot counted.
Now, there have been news reports in the past decade that have found examples of people being registered to vote in two different states such as both New York and Florida and a New York Daily News article from 2004 found instances where it appeared that people did in fact vote in both places.
But what about voting absentee and then changing your address on Election Day?
Chris Cate, a spokesman for the Florida Secretary of State's office, said in an e-mail that "no cases of multiple voting in Florida during the 2008 or 2010 election have been referred to the Department of State. However, it’s possible that a Supervisor of Elections could have made a complaint without our knowledge. They have the ability to refer cases directly to the local state attorney."
Cate in a subsequent e-mail also pointed out that the state's electronic voting database is designed to prevent "voter registration fraud."
This is one element of the ongoing debate that has not received a lot of conversation but Florida now a list of every registered voter in the state. This database is supposed to be constantly updated to help the state delete people who have died or removed if they are convicted of a felony. The Department of State is also supposed to look for duplicate registrations.
Additionally, the Republican-led Legislature previously put in place the so-called "no match" requirement that is also designed to cut down on voter registration fraud. It states that the information on a voter registration application must match state and federal databases or the person is not eligible to vote.
The law was challenged but it was eventually upheld by a federal appeals court.
In an opinion piece, Secretary of State Kurt Browning in 2008 wrote: "This is a good law that will help our voter rolls achieve more accuracy and less fraud, while creating minimal inconvenience for prospective voters."
I would say the Tom Feeney NASA produced chips that can change the scanner data at the holders bidding is a voter fraud problem! I believe that fact coupled with that little executive order pronounced by Jeb Bush; "tho shalt be no recounting of the paper ballots," you must accept the computer numbers provided by the scanners or touchscreens is a voter fraun problem!
Oh! I almost forgot to mention that little nasty incomvenient antique requirment that Jebbie and buddies also done away with! You know the one required witnesses to those absentee ballots!
Early voting gives everyone time to correct their little mistakes! In the August 2008 primary the voters of Lake County, Fl. requested 17,000 absentee ballots! A staggering 9,000 of them were never returned! Explain that! Somebody didn't like the votes they contained!
No need in bothering grandma with those little whose who at election time! I know we have massive voter fraud in Florida! We also have massive political corruption in ever corner! It's obvious no one will ever address the issue! Why? Because they can't find and honest government official to report it too, that's why!
Posted by: Arron Byrd | April 25, 2011 at 04:54 PM
Hey, you guys must think Florida exists in its only little space? There are many other states however which have experienced the problem. That's O's ACORN actually. His friends at DOJ refused to prosecute the BlackPathers (tm) and only slapped ACORN. But, Florida again thinking we must of forgotten how you voters thought the whole rest of the country would allow one little ole county down there decide a national election. Yes, we remember the large outcry over the issue, but we understood the Constitution even better and knew where it would end up. In the meantime, the rats slunk back up to Chicago without much scrutiny. The rats who knew from sitting at the Mayor's knee just how to turn an election. We don't expect you all to understand the point of view of the rest of the country either.
Posted by: F.R. | April 27, 2011 at 07:25 PM
Of course, we all forget the David Abrami and Gonzalez contribution to US COngressman Feeney. All the state and federal fundraising they did. Also, the State of Florida GOP after the recount and Jeb had Feeney's group of friends propogate voter redistricting and voter machines in Ga too.
Alas, as the FEDS were going to interview them there was a gang related shooting and Feeney's witnesses against him (for his federal fraud and Scottland trip with jailed lobbyist) ALL DIED..
Apparently, even though David Abrami was engaged to be married, the twist from a GOP blog said they were all gay, and it was a gay murder suicide...
Feeney had the chip computer company, and the death of a Dept of Transportation employee inspector that was outing fraud and payments to Feeney though his chinese computer company he worked for, that kicked money back to him.
I think this fraud voting thing isnt over, because Browning will perpatuate Jeb's house of cards.
Posted by: theloneconsumer | April 29, 2011 at 03:06 PM