Latinos, African American voters team up to fight Scott’s voter purge

African American and Latino voters will join their State Representative, Janet Cruz, in an effort to stop another politically motivated attack by Rick Scott’s Administration on Floridians’ fundamental right to vote.  To this end, a press conference will be held at the Fred B. Karl County Center on Tuesday at 11:00 a.m.

The first voter purge attempt by Rick Scott’s Administration in 2012 cost at least $52,000 of taxpayer money. The Administration produced lists with hundreds and hundreds of citizens that local Supervisors of Elections proved were legally registered voters. Over 80 percent of those on the purge lists were people of color and more than 6 in 10 were Hispanic. It was a costly embarrassment that Floridians fear will be repeated.

Last fall, Rick Scott’s Secretary of State, Ken Dentzer, conducted a statewide media tour to promote new voter purge efforts aimed at alleged non-citizens. Supervisors of Elections and members of the public asked Dentzer a number of questions about the program, which he failed to address.

Dentzer has not provided answers as to how much the purge will cost taxpayers and what evidence caused the Scott Administration to launch voter purge efforts in the first place. Multiple supervisors have pointed out that they do not employ immigration experts on their staffs and wanted to know to whom they could direct those questions. They also inquired as to how often the federal SAVE database the state was using would be updated. Dentzer had no answers.

Representative Janet Cruz (D-Tampa), who serves as the Ranking Member of the Ethics and Elections Subcommittee, will be joined by Latino and African American voters on Tuesday. Minority voters say they are tired of being target of politicians who try to score political points with right-wing extremists. 

What: Rally and press conference to oppose pending Scott Administration voter purge

Where: Fred B. Karl County Center

(Plaza at the corner of Morgan and Jackson Streets near entrance)

601 East Kennedy Blvd, Tampa, FL 33602

Date & Time: Tuesday, January 28, 2014. 11:00 AM

Who: Representative Janet Cruz (D-Tampa)

Edwin Enciso, Latino community advocate

Latino and African American voters

Concerned citizens