Associated Press
October 27, 2004
Florida Will Reject Incomplete Voter Forms
By Catherine Wilson
MIAMI (Oct. 27) - Florida election officials will not be required
to process incomplete voter registration forms for the presidential election, a
federal judge ruled Tuesday.
U.S. District Judge James Lawrence King said the three prospective voters for
whom the lawsuit was filed did not have the legal standing to pursue the case,
which was backed by the AFL-CIO.
But he gave the union a chance to file a new version of the lawsuit next month
with people who meet the standard.
That leaves the AFL-CIO and the Advancement Project, a social action group, on
the losing side of an attempt to force election officials to accept incomplete
registration forms before the Nov. 2 election.
The forms were from people who signed to affirm their eligibility, but failed to
provide an identification number, such as from a driver's license or a Social
Security card, or check boxes affirming their citizenship, mental capacity and
felony status.
Applicants filling out registration cards are required to sign a form, affirming
that they meet eligibility requirements, but applicants must also check separate
boxes on the form.
Attorneys with the Washington-based Advancement Project said the plaintiffs
would appeal by Friday. The group argued that the rejections disqualified more
than 14,000 people across the state, with a disparate effect on minorities.
Nearly 45 percent of the challenged forms in one county, Duval, came from
blacks.
"Our goal is still to see if we can get relief for our clients before
Election Day," said Sheila Thomas, an Advancement Project attorney.
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