State senator seeking people on felon list to ensure they can vote

By Gregory Lewis
Posted July 30 2004

State Sen. M. Mandy Dawson has invited 14,000 Broward and Palm Beach County residents whose names appear on the state's suspected felon list to meet with her today and Saturday to make sure they can vote in upcoming elections.

Although Secretary of State Glenda Hood has thrown out the questionable list that was to be used to purge suspected felons from voter rolls, elections supervisors still are required to the county rolls for the Aug. 31 primary and Nov. 2 election.

"The only way to make sure the same people don't show up on another list is to deal with it," Dawson said. "What's to keep them from producing another list?"

Hood scrapped the state list after a flaw was discovered that would have allowed suspected Hispanic felons to vote.

Broward County Deputy Supervisor of Elections Gisela Salas said once the state purge list was discarded, her office stopped using it. None of the names on the state list has been removed from Broward County voter rolls, she said.

In Palm Beach County, Elections Supervisor Theresa LePore uses a monthly list she receives from the state attorney's office to remove the names of felons from voter rolls.

Dawson sent letters to each person on the state's suspected felon list who lived in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

The weekend workshops will help felons fill out paperwork to restore their rights. The senator's staff will also assist those whose rights have already been restored and those not convicted of a felony to remove their names from the state list.

Paul Hicks of Davie is among those who plan to attend Friday's meeting. The 55-year-old man said he has never been convicted of a felony and has never had a problem voting. Nonetheless, he received a letter from Dawson.

"I was really beside myself when I found out I was on the list," said Hicks. "I thought, `What are they trying to pull after the 2000 election?' I've never had a problem voting."