Manatee sorts out 582 names

BRIAN HAAS

Herald Staff Writer

In Manatee County, supervisor of elections Bob Sweat had not heard about Gov. Jeb Bush's announcement until he was contacted by a reporter.

"I really think that what Bush did - he's going to get some criticism for that - what he did was a very fair thing," Sweat said. "The problem is that list was flawed from the beginning. They had people on there that had their rights restored; they had people who had never been convicted on the list."

The list will likely still pose a problem for election workers, who have to confirm the criminal backgrounds of everyone on the purge list. Sweat said his office had a list of 582 names as of Thursday, but the list grows with each felony conviction.

He estimated taxpayers will pay about $250 a day for research costs into the background of each person on the purge list, which could cost $10,000 if his office has to look up all 582 names. And some of the purged felons are from other states, making confirmation "darn improbable," Sweat said.

Anyone who has a question about their voting eligibility can call the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections at 741-3823. Residents can receive information about restoring their voting eligibility if they feel they have been improperly purged from the voter rolls.

Residents have until Aug. 2 to register to vote for the Aug. 31 primary and until Oct. 4 to register for the Nov. 2 general election.