Groups demand changes in Florida voting procedures

MIAMI -- Several South Florida community groups representing a cross-section of black, white and Hispanic voters demanded Thursday that Miami-Dade County improve voting procedures and pollworker training before the Nov. 5 general election, when even more people are expected at the polls than in last week's problematic primary.

The call for reform, made at a press conference in Liberty City, Fla., was the first show of diversity since last week's election meltdown, when hundreds of residents across Miami-Dade complained they had been disenfranchised.

Among the groups present were members of the American Civil Liberties Union, Miami-Dade NAACP, the League of Women Voters, Haitian American Grassroots Organization, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, Brothers of the Same Mind and the African American Council of Christian Clergy.

The groups want elections officials to retrain, then test pollworkers. And they called on the state to allocate more money for them to do it.

The groups want the county to recheck all iVotronic touch-screen voting machines, mail every registered voter a sample ballot and broadcast public service announcements showing voters how to use the new machines.

They also are launching a voter education program and plan to distribute brochures in English, Spanish and Creole "so voters can stand up for their rights at the polls."

"More people will vote in November, and it will be a more contentious election with more ballot items," said Howard Simon, executive director of the ACLU of Florida. "The problems are likely to be greater than in September, especially if these things aren't addressed."

A detailed list of requests was being sent to Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas, County Manager Steve Shiver and Supervisor of Elections David Leahy.