civil rights violation in Florida vote
MichaelP
Sunday I posted an item from the GUARDIAN which included the following ---
"The US justice department announced yesterday that it had launched an
inquiry into claims that thousands of black Floridians were stripped of
their right to vote by a state government run by Governor Jeb Bush, the
Republican presidential candidate's brother.
The inquiry, led by the department's civil rights division, has been under
way since Thursday and is focusing on allegations by black community
leaders that in the run-up to the election minorities were targeted by
police intimidation and administrative measures which had the effect of
disproportionately disenfranchising black voters."
The basic allegations have been circulating for two-three weeks - the
NAACP (I think) conducted a hearing at which folk testified - and yet the
DoJ just started investigating last Thursday.
More to the point, today's news about court decisions disfavoring recount
of ballots also includes pundit remarks that only the Florida Supreme
Court can do anything to favor Gore's candidacy.
Perhaps I'm missing something - granted the DoJ is moving with "all
deliberate speed" to check if civil rights violations have occured - what
penalty could the DoJ seek for such violations, and could it possibly
reach that point before Janet Reno is replaced by a Bush appointee?
And by asking this question I'm pointing to the continuing racist nature
of the US - especially in maintaining any part of voting rights that were
won in the 60's against infringement by southern Democrats.
Note also the below story - the Justice Department "has no authority for
any action that might change voting totals from the Nov. 7 election"
Michael
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This was a Sunday AP story:
Sunday December 3 10:35 PM ET
By MICHAEL J. SNIFFEN, Associated Press Writer
Justice Probes Alleged Vote Problems
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Justice Department has sent representatives to
Florida to gather information about alleged voting irregularities, a
spokeswoman said Sunday.
The department has received complaints that blacks and other minorities
were impeded by voting officials when they tried to cast ballots in
several Florida locations.
"We have two people in Florida, but this is still part of our inquiry to
gather information to see what if any federal investigation is warranted,"
Justice Department spokeswoman Kara Peterman said Sunday.
The NAACP says it has gathered 486 complaints and taken more than 300
pages of sworn testimony from people who say they were blocked from
voting. The organization plans to file a lawsuit early this week alleging
voter intimidation and other violations of voting rights.
The Justice Department has authority to bring criminal prosecutions
against anyone who denies someone's right to vote. The department also can
bring civil lawsuits in some circumstances to alter racially
discriminatory voting procedures in the future. But it has no authority
for any action that might change voting totals from the Nov. 7 election.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights at its regularly scheduled
meeting Friday will examine allegations of voter intimidation and other
voting rights improprieties in the Nov. 7 election, according to a media
advisory issued Sunday night. Calls to a commission spokesman for details
were not immediately returned.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, claiming "a clear pattern of voter suppression of
African-American votes," wants the Justice Department to begin a formal
investigation in Florida.
"African-Americans were targeted to be disenfranchised," he said Sunday at
a news conference in Tallahassee, Fla.
Jackson said a protest organized by civil rights groups and the AFL-CIO is
planned for Wednesday outside the Statehouse in Tallahassee.
The Washington Post reported Sunday that its computer analysis found the
more black and Democratic a precinct, the more likely a high number of
presidential votes were not counted.
About 2.9 percent of Florida's presidential ballots - roughly 180,000 -
were not counted because no candidate was chosen, two candidates were
picked or a ballot was not clearly marked. Traditionally, 2 percent of
ballots cast nationwide do not record a presidential vote.
In Miami-Dade, the state's most populous county, roughly 3 percent of
ballots were excluded from the presidential tally. But in precincts with a
black population of 70 percent or more, about 10 percent not counted.
Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore have been fighting for
Florida's crucial 25 electoral votes for nearly four weeks. Gore claims
some of the uncounted votes should not have been thrown out and is pushing
for hand recounts to try to overcome Bush's 537-vote lead.
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