Democrats File Suit to Block Election Day Notices

[las47032]

The Florida Democratic Party filed a lawsuit Friday in hopes of keeping notices out of polling places that would inform voters that ballots cast for former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley will count for fellow Republican Joe Negron.
The eight county elections supervisors who will record the outcome in the 16th Congressional District agreed this week to print a notice that would be posted at registration tables and handed to voters who had questions about the race.

Foley resigned Sept. 29 - too late to print new ballots - and was replaced as the Republican candidate by Negron, a state lawmaker from Stuart. Negron will receive any votes cast for Foley, according to state law.

When Negron was picked as Foley's replacement, Florida Division of Elections Director Dawn Roberts asked the supervisors to mail a notice about the change with absentee ballots and to post the notice inside individual voting booths. Supervisors decided against her recommendation but agreed this week to make a notice available in case of voter confusion.

The attorney for the Florida State Supervisors of Elections gave local supervisors recommended language for the notice, which also would tell voters that votes cast for Democrat Tim Mahoney will count for Mahoney and votes cast for Emmie Ross, who has no party affiliation, will count for Ross.

But Democrats said giving voters this information at the polling place is illegal. Democratic attorneys cite a Florida statute that states: "No precinct officer may favor any political party, candidate or issue."

"This plain English statute specifically prohibits any (election supervisor) from passing out at a polling location any information whatsoever that identifies Negron replacing Foley," the complaint states. "That would clearly and prejudicially constitute favoritism for both the Republican Party and Negron."

The eight county supervisors - including Arthur Anderson in Palm Beach, Vicki Davis in Martin and Gertrude Walker in St. Lucie - and Secretary of State Sue Cobb were named as defendants in the lawsuit, which was filed in the Second Judicial Circuit Court in Leon County. Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Thurman is the plaintiff.

Ron Labasky, attorney for the elections supervisors, said he was willing to argue the case in court before voting begins. Early voting begins Oct. 23.
"The superintendents feel comfortable with the decision they made," Labasky said. "They feel that under the circumstances, that it was the appropriate thing to do. This was merely to provide voters with a potential response to questions."

Republicans charged that Democrats were trying to "disenfranchise voters and keep them in the dark."

"Democrats know Tim Mahoney is out of touch with the 16th Congressional District, and he has absolutely no chance in this race if the race is between him and Joe Negron," Florida Republican Party spokesman Jeff Sadowsky said.

Mahoney has not said whether he prefers notices.

"It's really not my fight," he said. "I'll let the legal experts decide what the best thing to do is."

Source: Democrats sue over notices about ballot

[Old Fart]

No surprise here!

[Snowden]

It sounds like they are running scared.

[Old Fart]

We live at the southern tip of Sarasota County, Foley's district starts 1/8 of a mile south of here. Everybody down here knows what's going on, no problem!