State still at odds with Pinellas election official
The state and Pinellas election supervisor Deborah Clark are still clashing over a law that requires new voters' driver's license numbers to match ones in the state database.
Clark and Secretary of State Kurt Browning agreed to disagree in their interpretations of the law in a Monday afternoon telephone conference, Clark said. Browning also reminded her he could take legal action if she instituted procedures that were not in compliance with the law.
Clark has said she wants to give voters a chance to correct matching problems at the polls. The state law requires corrections before voters get to the polls or voters must cast provisional ballots and return with clarifying information, state officials say. And Browning last week said Clark is misinterpreting the law.
Clark is seeking advice from Assistant County Attorney Betsy Steg and asked her to review a court decision that upheld the law after a legal challenge. Clark wants to see whether the decision includes this specific situation and is not sure what her course of action will be.
"I may well get some direction from a judge in the future," she said.
-- Times Staff Writers, Lorri Helfand and Steve Bousquet
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Thank you Clark for standing up for the voters of Pinellas County (of which I am one).
Posted by: Campaign Manager | October 07, 2008 at 12:41 PM
After 8 years of mismanagment all of a sudden our S.O.E. wants to make it easy for voters??? What a joke!!! Does the fact that she is up for re-election in a bad year for the G.O.P. have anything to do with it??? Of course. CLEAN THEM ALL OUT ON NOV. 4TH.
Posted by: True Blue | October 07, 2008 at 03:41 PM
Shut up Norm
Posted by: | October 07, 2008 at 04:52 PM
I applaud any SOE who is willing to challenge unfair election laws.
Posted by: Jack Killingsworth | October 07, 2008 at 05:45 PM
I applaud the idea. I'm just worried how long the "Correction" line will be.
Considering the long lines we will likely see on Nov.4 is she taking steps to assure that extra poll workers are being trained and assigned to this task?
Posted by: Everett | October 08, 2008 at 01:58 AM
"Clark has said she wants to give voters a chance to correct matching problems at the polls."
Translation: We want to frustrate and confuse voters as much as possible on Election Day, and cause enough of a bottleneck at the precincts as to discourage participation.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
Posted by: EA | October 08, 2008 at 10:34 AM
I AGREE, FOLLOW THE LAW.
Posted by: | October 10, 2008 at 01:49 AM