Rick Scott Smack-Down: Justice Department Intervenes on Voter Roll Purge

by Benjamin J. Kirby

Bad day for our governor, the hospital grifter Rick Scott, here in Florida.

Great day for voters.

First, as I noted earlier, a U.S. District Judge threw out a chunk of the draconian election law Scott had championed.  Specifically, he tossed out the piece which essentially made it impossible for organizations to register voters.

Now, breaking news out of the Justice Department, via TPM:

The Justice Department sent a letter to Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner Thursday evening demanding the state cease purging its voting rolls because the process it is using has not been cleared under the Voting Rights Act, TPM has learned.

DOJ also said that Florida’s voter roll purge violated the National Voter Registration Act, which stipulates that voter roll maintenance should have ceased 90 days before an election, which given Florida’s August 14 primary, meant May 16.

This is a big deal.

Scott had undertaken these measures as a brazen attempt to dampen Democratic turnout and help deliver Florida to Romney.  After all, let's remember what I like to call the Steve Schale statistic:

Add up 32 million Florida votes over the 5 Presidentials from 1992-2008 and less than 60,000 votes separate the two major political parties.

Scott knows that as well as any of us.  And he was going to use the illegal purge and his horrible election law to his advantage.  

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said the arc of the universe bends towards justice.  Well, tonight justice -- via the U.S. Department of Justice -- bent towards Florida.

Hallelujah.

Comments

[Van Lewis]

Since Gov Rick Scott Knowingly Violated The Voters Rights Act, Some Of Us Think That The Punishment Should Be To The Fullest Extent Of The Law.

His Law That Supposededly Prevented Voter Fraud Is The Highest Form Of Fraud In Its Intent.

If There Has Ever Be A Case For Impeachmen, This Certainly Suggest So