Jesse files Florida lawsuit
MichaelP
Jesse Jackson in twin accusation over treatment of Florida black vote
TALLAHASSE, Florida, Dec 6 (AFP) -
Citing unfair treatment of black voters in Florida's presidential race,
civil rights leader Jesse Jackson launched twin accusations against the
state government Wednesday.
Jackson said he had filed a lawsuit in Duval county where, he claimed,
some 27,000 ballots were thrown out. And he charged that 8,000 mainly
black voters were illegitimately prevented from casting their ballot on
November 7.
"In Duval county, 27,000 ballots were thrown away," Jackson told a press
conference in the county, announcing that he had filed a civil rights
lawsuit there Tuesday seeking their inclusion, and calling for an
emergency hearing.
Some 16,000 of the ballots thrown out were cast in Jacksonville, he said.
Jackson said the vote count was intentionally kept secret by local
authorities, which prevented any challenge to the tally being made within
the 72-hour deadline.
In a later statement made outside Florida's Congress building in
Tallahassee, Jackson also accused authorities of crossing off 8,000 mainly
black voters from electoral lists, on grounds they had committed felonies.
The Florida law that bars felons from voting for life -- even when they
have served their sentence -- meant that 31 percent of black males in
Florida could not vote in the presidential election, he charged.
Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris engaged a Texas-based company
in a four-million dollar contract to draw up the lists, according to
Jackson.
"It turned out that none of these were guilty of felonies, only
misdemeanors," said Jackson, adding that though "the company acknowledged
the error," lists were not amended to include the erroneously excluded
names.
Taking up the Democratic refrain throughout the ballot dispute in Florida
between Vice President Al Gore and his Republican rival George W. Bush,
Jackson insisted that all votes be counted.
"Count the votes," he said. "Our case remains clear, we want to win by the
count, not by the clock."
Members of the black caucus of elected Florida representatives appeared at
the Tallahassee press call, saying tens of thousands of blacks may have
been prevented from voting due to alleged harassment and intimidation.
"There are allegations of intimidation, harassment, voters turned away at
the polls, irregular movement of polling places, absentee ballot
irregularities and failure to provide or allow assistance to people of
color at the polling places," said Frederica Wilson, a Miami
representative who is president of the Black Caucus.
"We're here today to make a strong stand for minority voters in Florida.
To say loud and clear, in the strongest terms possible, that our votes
must be counted and our voice will not be ignored."
The caucus made up of 22 elected representatives is to ask the Florida
legislature to carry out an investigation of the election and to pass
measures unifying voting methods in all counties throughout the state.
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