TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Several groups are calling on Florida to halt its push to remove non-U.S. citizens from the voter rolls.
Six civil rights and voting rights organizations sent a letter Thursday to Secretary of State Ken Detzner asking him to stop the purge or he will risk a lawsuit.
The groups contend federal law bars the state from removing voters from the rolls less than 90 days before a federal election. Florida’s primary will be held Aug. 14.
State election officials recently asked local election supervisors to check the status of more than 2,600 people and remove them from the rolls if they were not U.S. citizens.
A Department of State spokesman said the state’s actions are legal and that the state is obligated to remove ineligible voters.