Election '04 Alert: More Drama in Florida
Absentee Ballots Mailed with Error in Instructions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 16, 2004

Edrea Davis
770-507-6441/ 818-613-9521
edmedia@dogonvillage.com

(Florida)   Last week the Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that Palm Beach County's elections chief said that there is a mistake on absentee ballots that were recently mailed to over 22,000 Florida residents. Ballots were sent out with instructions stating that signatures must be witnessed or their votes won't count, however, a witness' signature is no longer required on absentee ballots.

"This is further evidence that protecting the vote is a key issue in the upcoming election," comments Melanie L. Campbell, executive director of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP), convener of the Unity '04 Voter Empowerment Campaign.

As the nation approaches the first national election since enactment of the Help America Vote Act of 2002, which mandated a complete overhaul of voting equipment, voting rights advocates anticipate problems on Election Day, especially in communities of color. In an effort to minimize inaccuracies the Unity '04 Campaign is promoting early and absentee voting where it's available.

Campbell, a Florida native, adds, "assuming this was an oversight, if the Supervisor of Elections doesn't even have the capacity to thoroughly proofread the ballots, we can not expect voters to have confidence in their ability to prevent problems on Election Day. Errors like this, along with the apathetic attitude of the officials involved, is why our Know Your Rights Election Protection (KYREP) program is an integral part of the Unity '04 Campaign."

Established in 2001 in response to the 2000 election debacle, the KYREP program is a coalition effort to prevent voting rights violations. KYREP activities include: holding national briefings and town hall meetings; mounting public awareness campaigns; providing voter education training; coordinating a national help line (1-866-OUR-VOTE) staffed by lawyers and law students; and disseminating state-specific voters' bill of rights prepared by election law experts.

In addition to the emphasis on protecting the rights of voters on Election Day, the organization is urging voters, new and old, to verify their names on the voting lists before the deadline to register passes.

"In some areas voters can go online or call their State Board of Elections to verify that their name is on the rolls," says Felicia Davis, Southern Unity '04 Coordinator. "We're doing everything we can to avoid the problems that resulted in the disenfranchisement of thousands of Black voters in 2000."

The Unity '04 Campaign is a non-partisan initiative convened by the NCBCP to harness the power of over 100 influential organizations determined to increase Black voter turnout and make sure each vote is counted on Election Day. Participating organizations in the campaign have longstanding relationships and credibility in the Black community. They include the National Urban League, 100 Black Men of America, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, UniverSoul Circus, the National Pan-Hellenic Council of Presidents, an organization that unites nine Greek fraternities and sororities, and "The Tom Joyner Morning Show."