U.S. Newswire : "Groups to File Suit Against Duval County..."

U.S. Newswire : Releases : "Groups to File Suit Against Duval County..."

According to a Florida statute voter registration applications received by Oct. 4 will be processed and those voters will be placed on the rolls in time to vote in the Nov. 2 Presidential Election. However, Acting Supervisor of Elections in Duval County Dick Carlberg, has informed voter registration groups and would be voters that any applications turned in after next week will not be processed.

There is more work to be done after a citizen fills out a voter registration application. The application must be acted on by the appropriate government entity in a timely manner and in a way that enfranchises eligible voters. In a year when voter registration efforts have been vigorous, some registrars have not been able to keep up. States and localities need to add personnel who can clear the backlog and ensure that all applications are processed in time. For those whose applications might be rejected for procedural reasons, they need to be given sufficient time to correct their applications before the relevant deadlines.

Investigations after the 2000 elections revealed that between 1.5 million voters and 3 million voters were not able to cast a ballot because of registration problems. As the 2004 election draws near, many of these problems have not been fixed. With reportedly high numbers of registration applications for 2004, these problems are especially significant.

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