Early voting brings cries of bullying

By Brittany Wallman
Staff Writer

October 23, 2004

On Election Day, voters will be protected from campaign pressures by a 50-foot cone, an invisible barrier that campaign workers cannot breach. Not so for early voters.

While the Voter's Bill of Rights in state law says they have a right to 'vote free from coercion or intimidation by elections officers or any other person,' a glitch in the newer early voting law does not include the same 50-foot guarantee.

As a result, with early voting taking place in busy public places like City Halls and libraries, voters are voicing complaints of being blocked by political mobs, or being singled out for their political views. Others say they have been grabbed, screamed at and cursed by political partisans of all stripes.

Republican Rep. Tom Feeney of Oviedo said the antagonizers are 'Kerry thugs' out to harass Bush voters.

'If you ask me whether I believe there is an organized effort to intimidate Republican voters, the answer is absolutely yes,' said Feeney.

The Republican Party is calling on the secretary of state's office for help, asking that early voting rules be clarified.

The secretary of state's office has not yet responded.

'Significant numbers of people have already been deterred from voting,' wrote Republican Party Chairwoman Carole Jean Jordan to Secretary of State Glenda Hood, 'and this will continue until corrective measures are taken.'

Democratic Party officials in Tallahassee said they've had some complaints, too.

'We have had incidents as well,' said Christine Anderson, spokeswoman for the Kerry campaign. 'We've had quite a few.'

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