Gov. Scott Won’t Fight Ruling On Voter Rolls Purge

February 13, 2015 Governor of the Great State of Florida Rick Scott during the announcement that Miami Marlins to Host 2017 All-Star Game (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)

Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) won’t appeal a federal court ruling that found his administration attempted to remove non-citizens from voter rolls in 2012, violating the National Voter Registration Act.

Scott announced on Thursday that he wouldn’t appeal the decision, giving a big victory to the League of Women Voters and a number of other advocacy groups who said that Scott’s administration tried to disenfranchise minority voters who were likely to vote for President Barack Obama.

“Our goal continues to be 100 percent participation by eligible voters and zero percent fraud,” Walker said in a statement, according to The Tampa Bay Times. “Florida voters deserve an election system they can be proud of.”

As TPM reported in April, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a ruling of 2-1, found that Florida’s move to purge voter rolls of non-citizens violated the National Voter Registration Act’s “90 Days Provision.” That provision says that states must finish “any program the purpose of which is to systematically remove the names of ineligible voters from the official lists” within 90 days before a primary or general election at the federal level.

Scott’s administration, in response, said that it would announce its decision on what to do next in 2015.

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  1. Avatar for korvu korvu says:

    Walker??

  2. Avatar for chammy chammy says:

    Yeah I saw that. But, in any event, some good news on the voter front

  3. “Scott’s administration, in response, said that it would announce its decision on what to do next in 2015.”

    Better hurry, the 2016 election is coming up.

  4. “Our goal continues to be 100 percent participation by eligible voters and zero percent fraud,” Walker said in a statement, according to The Tampa Bay Times. “Florida voters deserve an election system they can be proud of.”

    Who is Walker? The name does not appear elsewhere in the article.

  5. Actually the original story in the Tampa Bay Times says, “Gov. Rick Scott said Thursday that his administration won’t appeal a federal court ruling that the state illegally tried to purge the voter rolls of suspected noncitizens too close to the 2012 presidential election.” (Bolded emphasis mine)

    Big difference.

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