'The Department of State respectfully disagrees with DOJ’s position,' Florida's secretary of state wrote. | AP Photo
Florida’s secretary of state told the Justice Department on Wednesday that the state’s move to purge noncitizens from its voter rolls does not violate the law — and it instead appears the Obama administration is the one breaking federal law.
“It is individuals who are not citizens of the United States,” Florida secretary of state Ken Detzner wrote in a letter late Wednesday to the Justice Dept. “The Florida Department of State has a solemn obligation to ensure the integrity of elections in this state.”
Detzner — who was appointed by Republican Gov. Rick Scott — pushed back against the DOJ’s questioning of the legality of Florida’s purge. In a letter last week, the DOJ said the state violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by not notifying the federal government of the move to purge its voter rolls. The DOJ also stated Florida was not in compliance with the National Voter Registration Act, which says states can’t remove voters from rolls less than 90 days before a federal election.
“The Department of State respectfully disagrees with DOJ’s position. The actions taken by Florida to identify and remove non-citizens from its voter rolls ensure that the right to vote of citizens is protected and is not diluted by the votes of ineligible persons,” Detzner wrote.
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