Nelson joins suit to open records

[Freddie Stubbs]

Senator says voter-list secrecy could tarnish elections again

By Bill Cotterell

DEMOCRAT POLITICAL EDITOR


Thousands of law-abiding Floridians might be denied the right to vote and the outcome of the presidential election could be tarnished unless the public can see lists of convicted felons set for purging from voter rolls, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson warned Monday.

But a spokeswoman for Secretary of State Glenda Hood said nearly 48,000 names sent to county elections supervisors are only "potential matches" for those of ex-cons. Voters on the list will get certified letters saying their names are to be deleted and they will have a chance to correct any mistakes - but their privacy should be protected until then, the department said.

After a meeting with Barbara Petersen, president of the First Amendment Foundation, Nelson said secrecy will undermine public confidence in a state that can't afford any more doubts about the honesty of its elections.

Multiple plaintiffs

Nelson filed a "friend of the court" brief in Leon County Circuit Court, supporting a lawsuit brought by Cable News Network last week against secrecy provisions of the felon-purge statute. The Tallahassee Democrat also joined in the suit.

more: http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/news/local/8865601.htm