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Feds want access to polls, Florida official says no
Secretary of State Kurt Browning says the law is clear on who is and who is not allowed into polling places.
TALLAHASSEE (Bay News 9) -- Officials in Washington D.C. are wanting to access polling places in Florida as part of a study to find ways to help older and disabled voters, but so far state officials are not complying.
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson has written a letter to Gov. Charlie Crist asking for federal inspectors to be given access to polling places in four Florida counties, including Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. So far Secretary of State Kurt Browning, a man appointed by Crist, has refused.
"I think there's a new secretary in town," Browning said. "And certainly, when you look at the law and you read that law, I think it's very clear as to who can come into a polling place and who cannot."
Florida is a desirable place for the study since the state is home to the nation's largest percentage of senior citizens, and it has a large number of disabled people as well.
Dave Bruns with the Florida chapter of AARP says the state granted access in 2000, and there is no reason not to do it now.
"We are the grayest state in the nation, so certainly Florida is a critical place to have this occur," Bruns said. "And it's interesting that one of the counties where they want to have this monitoring is Pinellas, where Gov. Crist is from."
Browning says in light of the letter, he has asked his lawyers to double-check the law.
Thirty other states are taking part in the government's study of voting access for seniors and the disabled.
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