In the wake of last month's US Supreme Court ruling on the federal Voting Rights Act, Florida will move to purge ineligible voters from its rolls. A lawsuit against the state's efforts to keep suspected non-citizens from voting has been dismissed as a result of the ruling.
The lawsuit, filed by voting-rights groups and two citizens, argued that the state should have waited to begin the purge until it first won "preclearance" from the U-S Department of Justice. But the high court struck down a provision of the Voting Rights Act requiring state or local governments with histories of racial discrimination to get approval for major voting changes.
Howard Simon, executive director of the ACLU of Florida, says the purge disproportionately affects young, old and minority voters.
"Sixty-four percent of people who were on the governor’s purge list were Hispanic voters", said Simon. "Only 14 percent of all the voters in Florida are Hispanic voters."
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Ken Detzner's office has confirmed that he will now move ahead with the voter purge.
In an email, the state says elections officials, quote, "…fully intend to continue efforts to remove non-citizens from Florida’s voter rolls, and anticipate doing so with plenty of time to prepare for the next general election".
Governor Rick Scott is directing the removal of questionable voters.