DOJ Orders Florida to Stop Voter Purge

Last night, the U.S. Department of Justice ordered Florida to halt its voter purge program, claiming that the state is violating federal law.

The controversial list maintenance effort has gained attention in recent weeks due to its inherent inaccuracy, poor timing before federal elections, and disproportionate impact on citizens of color.

The Justice Department states that “Florida’s effort appears to violate both the 1965 Voting Rights Act [VRA], which protects minorities, and the 1993 National Voter Registration Act [NVRA] – which governs voter purges…,” according to the Miami Herald.

The VRA requires five Florida counties to seek federal approval before making changes to voting due to their history of voter discrimination: the DOJ claims that it has not been asked to review the procedure. The NVRA requires states to complete list maintenance programs no later than 90 days before a federal election: Florida’s the purge effort should have stopped on May 16 so that no one is illegally removed from the rolls before the August 14 primary.

“So far, Florida has flagged 2,700 potential noncitizen voters and sent the list to county elections supervisors, who have found the data and methodology to be flawed and problematic. The list of potential noncitizen voters – many of whom have turned out to be lawful citizens and voters – disproportionately hits minorities, especially Hispanics.

About 58% of those flagged as potential noncitizens are Hispanics, Florida’s largest ethnic immigrant population, a Miami Herald analysis found. Hispanics make up 13 percent of the overall 11.3 million active registered voters.”

The Justice Department gave the state until June 6 to provide further information on whether the state will “cease the practice…so that the Department can determine what further action, if any, is necessary.” READ MORE.