Friday, August 27, 2004

Civil rights leaders also are targeting felons who have concluded their sentences, many of whom were denied the right to vote in 2000 because they had not received formal clemency from the state. Although the same law technically applies, a list of such registered voters — prepared by the Florida Elections Department under Republican Gov. Jeb Bush — was withdrawn after it was shown to contain many names of black men but not Hispanics, most of whom vote Republican in Florida. That means no list will be waiting at polling places to purge those would-be voters (emphasis added).

"We're going to be advertising on radio and in newspapers letting those people know they can vote," [Linda Johnson, president of the Belle Glade NAACP] said.