Reviewed ordered of Fla. voting database

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Florida's top elections official Thursday ordered a review of the state's voter database after a list used by county officials to remove felons from voting rolls came under heavy criticism.

Secretary of State Glenda Hood acknowledged the list of 48,000 potential felons was flawed and scrapped it: It contained thousands of people who are eligible to vote, such as people who had their charges reduced, and was flawed by a technical glitch that excluded many possible Hispanic felons.

Hood said she now wants her inspector general to review how the overall database was put together to ensure there are no other problems.

"There's lots of details out there that we don't know and we need to get a handle on it," she said. "I want the answers and I'm extremely concerned."

Past problems with voter eligibility were among the reasons Democrats claim Vice President Al Gore should have won the 2000 election.

Florida is one of only a handful of states that do not automatically restore voting rights to convicted felons once they have completed their sentences.