Is the Florida Legislature trying to fix elections?

From the Times Union

by Abel Harding

Voting rights activists are convinced Florida lawmakers want to keep the "duh" in Florida.

With a presidential election approaching, the Legislature has decided it's time for a sweeping rewrite of election laws. The surprise 128-page bill, carried by Rep. Dennis Baxley, was rushed through a key House panel late last week only 24 hours after it was unveiled.

"There have been concerns about mischief," Baxley said in an interview. "We hope it raises people's sense of trust."

The breakneck speed at which the legislation has appeared and moved hasn't exactly done that.

Last year's gubernatorial election was one of the closest in Florida history - only 61,550 votes separated Rick Scott and Alex Sink - and seemingly went off without a hitch.

So exactly what changes are needed?

The most glaring proposal would end the practice of allowing voters who have moved to update their address at the polls.

During the 2008 presidential election, 6,986 Duval County voters did just that.

Baxley, an Ocala lawmaker who lost a special election by 380 votes in 2007, said allowing address changes opens the door to voters casting ballots more than once. He wants those voters to fill out a provisional ballot.

"There's always a movement to refine things," said Katie Betta, spokeswoman for House Speaker Dean Cannon, whose office was involved in writing the legislation. "It's an added precaution. There's no reason for voters to believe [votes] couldn't be counted."

People who count the votes call the changes unnecessary and worrisome.

Clay County Supervisor of Elections Chris Chambless said precautions are already taken.

"We have the system in place to pull voter registration from any county in the state," he said. "Even at the precinct level, we have the ability to prevent a person from casting a ballot more than once."

Penny Halyburton, St. Johns County's long-time supervisor of elections, agreed.

"I don't like how it could very possibly disenfranchise voters," she said.

Her county saw 2,021 voters change addresses at the polls in 2010. There were 929 in Nassau County, nearly 1 in 25 voters who cast ballots in 2010.

Some fear the law could do the opposite of its stated intent and cast doubt on the credibility of results, particularly with the spectre of provisional ballots. Those ballots aren't immediately counted and face review before their validity is determined.

In other words, more voters may leave polling locations with a sticker that says "I (may have) voted."

The Florida Division of Elections said it was unable to name one case where a voter used an address change to cast more than one ballot during the last election. That's why election officials are nearly unanimous in saying this rewrite isn't needed or wanted.

"People who run for office and get elected often think they become election experts," said Halyburton. "They want to change everything that worked against them or could work against them in the future."

Baxley says he's just looking to start the conversation.

"This is the beginning," he said, "not the end."

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/403455/abel-harding/2011-04-05/abel-harding-lawmakers-try-solve-non-problem