Florida Purge List Public, But Safeguards Still Needed

Florida announced today that it will release the full list of over 180,000 people flagged as potential non-citizens in its voter purge effort.

The Brennan Center released the following statement from Democracy Program Counsel Diana Kasdan:

“Florida releasing its original eleventh-hour voter purge list is a step in the right direction, but the delay is just one more example of the state’s complete lack of transparency. This list should have been released months ago. Any attempt to clean the rolls must be open and accurate. Florida’s purge has been anything but. State officials have indicated they will not continue the purge program. This is good news. But now that this list is public, Florida needs to make sure it is not used by any county election officials and institute Election Day safeguards to ensure every eligible citizen is able to vote this November."

In April, Florida sent county supervisors a list of 2,700 registered voters — culled from the full 180,000 person list — flagged as potential non-citizens. The list has been shown to contain hundreds of eligible citizens. Miami-Dade County alone sent letters to 1,570 voters and nearly 500 have responded confirming their citizenship.

For more information on the history of voter purges, see the Brennan Center’s 2008 report, one of the first systematic examinations of the chaotic and largely unseen world of purges.

To set up an interview, please contact Erik Opsal at erik.opsal@nyu.edu or 646–292–8356.