August 25, 2004
Snowbirds double-dipping their votes in Florida and New York
by Liza Sabater
New York Daily News - Home - The News rocks the vote
As many as 1000 New Yorkers with residences in Florida may have voted --and been counted-- in each state during the 2000 elections. The question that grocks me is, how is it banks can collect highly sensitive and private data on everybody but states cannot or will not cross-reference voter registration lists with other states? After the last elections, what is the excuse on this one?
The News rocks the vote
Fla. officials say fraud will be probed
BY JAMES GORDON MEEK
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON - Florida state officials called for investigations yesterday after the Daily News found 46,000 New Yorkers illegally registered to vote in both states.
The study of computer records in New York and Florida, where the 2000 presidential contest hinged on a few hundred votes, also found that between 400 and 1,000 people voted twice in at least one election.
In some cases, people had violated the law by voting twice in as many as seven elections, The News revealed yesterday.
"We expect that people will follow the law," said Florida Department of State spokeswoman Alia Faraj. "If there is an indication that people haven't, then the appropriate agencies must look into this matter."
Investigations could be launched by both federal and state agencies, Faraj said. "Any citizen can file a complaint with the Florida Elections Commission," Faraj said.
In New York, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said voter rolls are plagued with problems beyond people fraudulently or mistakenly casting two ballots. "There are dead people on that list, too," he said.
One Florida official promised that the case of Norman Siegel, 84, a registered Republican in both Pinellas Park, Fla., and Briarwood, Queens, who voted twice in four presidential elections, will be referred to a state's attorney for criminal prosecution.
"It'll happen tomorrow," Deborah Clark, Pinellas Co., Fla., supervisor of elections, told The News.
Clark was "shocked" that so many are cheating the system, but said that Florida does not have a statewide database of voters online, much less the ability to compare rolls with New York.
Kenneth Gross, a former Federal Election Commission Enforcement Division chief, said there is little the feds can do to thwart fraud.
Some "snowbird" New Yorkers who winter in Florida have declared their innocence by claiming they voted a second time after mailing in an absentee ballot to the other state too late for it to be counted.
But Gross did not buy that explanation.
"I don't think they want to pay taxes in both states," he quipped.
With Lisa L. Colangelo in New York
Posted by Liza Sabater in 2004 Elections, Ethics, New York City, Sidelinks
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