Legislators defend ban on copying names from (FL felon) voter lists

[Bushfire]

By Bob Mahlburg
Tallahassee Bureau
Posted June 4 2004

Tallahassee · It has been called dangerous, bizarre and even unconstitutional.

But a Florida law that legally prohibits individuals from copying or writing down names of the state's registered voters -- which is now being challenged in court -- is needed to protect voter privacy, state election officials and key state legislators insist.

Groups such as the NAACP, eager to avoid a repeat of problems in the 2000 presidential election in which thousands of people in Florida were mistakenly purged from voter rolls, have demanded state election officials release the names of more than 47,000 suspected felons who may not be allowed to vote this fall.

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The ACLU of Florida also is considering joining the (CNN) lawsuit. State elections officials have refused to release names of so-called "potential felons" -- who may be dropped from voting -- sent to county election supervisors, citing a 2001 elections law that prohibits giving such names to anyone but government agencies and officials, political candidates, parties or committees.

more...

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-ffelons04jun04,0,63...