Republican add-ons may jeopardize paper-ballots bill (Florida)

[seafan]

Source: Miami Herald

BY GARY FINEOUT
April 25, 2007


TALLAHASSEE --
With just days left in the legislative session, a push to switch Florida to paper ballots is suddenly coming under fire from Democrats, who were previously in favor of the proposal.

That's because Senate Republicans added several controversial provisions Tuesday to a bill that sets aside $27.8 million to replace the touch-screen voting machines now used in 15 counties, including Miami-Dade and Broward. The legislation also calls for moving next year's state presidential primary to Jan. 29, which is before most other states in the country.

''We have taken a good cleanup of election systems and made it a political bill,'' complained Sen. Gwen Margolis, an Aventura Democrat.

.....

The Senate added provisions that would impose fines against third-party groups that register voters and do not quickly turn over forms to election officials. A similar law passed in 2005 but was struck down by a court and remains on appeal. Officials with the League of Women Voters complained that if the current measure becomes law, it would force the group to halt voter registration efforts in Florida.

Another provision would allow people who sign petitions to revoke their signatures, a move aimed at groups that have pushed constitutional amendments onto the ballot in recent years.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/569/story/85601.html

[lonestarnot]

1. WTF!

[seafan]

2. These Jeb Bush Republicans are lower than serpents.

More from the Palm Beach Post:

TALLAHASSEE — Senate Republicans added 14 amendments Tuesday to two elections bills in an effort that stunned voters' rights groups, union representatives and other supporters of the original bills.

.....

One amendment intervenes in a court case won by unions and others that overturned a law that had curtailed third-party voter registration activities. A federal court issued an injunction in the case last year, but former Secretary of State Sue Cobb, appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush, appealed the ruling.

"I have a problem solving court problems legislatively," said Gwen Margolis, D-Miami Beach, of the Senate Transportation and Economic Development Appropriations Committee.

Groups that originally supported the bills reluctantly opposed them by the end of Tuesday's three-hour meeting because the never-before-heard amendments limited their ability to register voters and, the unions said, would effectively prohibit them from political activity.

"Maybe some people might like that, if we're not able to do that. But it's very troubling that there was this shiny happy people bill" with support from grass-roots groups that "now are targeted with laser-like precision," objected Florida AFL-CIO Rich Templin.

The bills were modified so that they required organizations, like unions, to report all dues-related contributions to their political affiliate, which would force unions to identify publicly all of their members.

It also opens the door for challenges to petition drives by creating a 30-day window in which voters can remove their signatures from ballot initiatives, which opponents say could create a signature removal cottage industry akin to the signature collection one.

.....

(bold emphasis added)

[Straight Shooter]

3. This proves that Repubs know that e-voting "glitches" always favor Repub. candidates. n/t