News & Public Affairs

Hillsborough voters incorrectly given provisional ballots listen

11/04/08 Seán Kinane
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If a person is a registered voter in Florida, but then moves to a different address, she is still eligible to vote in the new precinct where she lives, even though she is not registered in that precinct. A misunderstanding of this rule by at least one Hillsborough County poll worker caused several people to cast provisional ballots or not vote at all.

John Ovink is Tampa attorney who is working Election Day as a voting rights attorney for the Democratic Party and the Barack Obama campaign ...

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Buddy Johnson extends distance to electioneer at polls listen

11/04/08 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: 2008 election, Hillsborough County, Supervisor of Elections, Buddy Johnson, electioneering

Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Buddy Johnson last night revised the law that prohibits any electioneering within 100 feet of a polling place, according to Patricia Kemp, vice chair of the Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee, and the wife of WMNF Program Director Randy Wynne.

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Obama campaign manager in Florida cautiously optimistic listen

11/04/08 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: 2008 election, Barack Obama, John McCain

Steve Schale is the state director for Barack Obama's campaign in Florida. WMNF spoke with him this morning, where he expressed cautious optimism that his candidate would take the Sunshine State.

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Some voters don't get entire ballot listen

11/04/08 Seán Kinane
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The ballot in Hillsborough County consists of two double-sided sheets of paper. But this morning, there were reports from at least five precincts that voters were only given the first of the two pages by poll workers. That’s the page with candidate races on it, including the race for president, but some voters did not receive the page with ballot referendum questions.

Supervisor of Elections Buddy Johnson says the problem has been fixed.

The West Tampa Convention Center on Columbus Dri...

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Will black votes sway Amendment 2? listen

11/03/08 Emily Reddy
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Tags: 2008 election, Barack Obama, John McCain, same-sex marriage, gay marriage, marriage protection, Amendment 2, domestic benefits

The line snaked across the parking lot, down the block and around the corner on the last day of early voting Saturday at the College Hill Library in Tampa. Voters in this primarily African-American community waited for as long as three hours to cast their ballots.

Massive voter registration drives and excitement over presidential candidate Barack Obama are expected to lead to record turnout in this election. And this year’s higher than average African-American turnout could make a contro...

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St. Pete police officer cleared in Dawson killing listen

11/03/08 Seán Kinane and Lisa Marzilli
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Tags: Javon Dawson, African American, Race, civil rights, discrimination, racism, Uhurus, St. Petersburg Police

Police administrators have cleared St. Petersburg Police officer Terrance Nemeth of all wrongdoing in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Javon Dawson in June.

Nemeth had previously been cleared of wrongdoing by Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney Bernie McCabe. His supervisors were looking to see whether Nemeth had violated any departmental policy, while McCabe’s review focused on whether he broke any laws.

Both investigations concluded he was justified in shooting Dawson after the teen alle...

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'No Match, No Vote' taking down Hillsborough voters listen

11/03/08 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: 2008 election; No Match, No Vote law

As of Friday, there were more than 12,000 names statewide captured under Florida’s Voter Verification Law, also known as "No Match, No Vote."

The law says that if a perspective voter’s ID does not match up correctly with a driver’s license or Social Security record, he or she cannot vote with a regular ballot, but instead must vote provisionally. That vote will not count if the voter does not provide a form of the correct ID to their Supervisor of Elections.

Jackie Beiro works with the...

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Mitchell proposes plan for seniors listen

11/03/08 Seán Kinane
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Tags: 2008 election, Gus Bilirakis, Bill Mitchell, Andrew Pasayan

In tomorrow’s election, Democrat Bill Mitchell is running to unseat one-term incumbent Republican Gus Bilirakis in the 9th Congressional District. This morning in Tampa, Mitchell announced a plan to protect senior citizens from financial predators while criticizing Bilirakis for his role as the attorney for one such predator.

Mitchell, a pension lawyer, unveiled his proposal for a new federal statute, the Senior Cit...

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Election Protection Monitors will be available nationwide listen

11/03/08 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: 2008 election; No Match, No Vote law; voter flipping

A day before tens of millions go to the polls, a coalition of votings rights and other advocacy groups discussed emerging issues and potential problems that may happen at voting booths tomorrow.

The groups go under the umbrella of Election Protection.

Jonah Goldman is the director of the National Campaign For Fair Elections, with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Goldman spoke at a news conference in Washington where he showed reporters different maps on their website, ...

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Chris Rock stumps in Tampa for Obama

11/03/08 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: 2008 election, Barack Obama, John McCain, Chris Rock

Called America’s master comic by Rollling Stone magazine earlier this year, 43-year-old Chris Rock spoke for just a few minutes, but did throw a few zingers John McCain’s way.

Rock is notorious for using blue language in concert. He acknowledged he would stay clear of his riotous, profane act, but did get edgy in saying that Sen. Barack Obama could relate more to working people. The Brooklyn based comic also said he wanted to dispel some of the rumors about Obama.

He told the audience...

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Preview of Efest in Sarasota on Nov. 8-9

11/03/08 Jon Butts
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William Lorenzen with the Trust for Public Lands started the program with some information about a referendum on the ballot in Hillsborough County: Our Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program (ELAPP) will expire in a couple of years and needs to be extended to enable us to save more important wild areas from development.

Next up was Randy Moore with Efest, which takes place in Sarasota Nov. 8 and 9. This will be a great event with a variety of "green" speakers, local "green...

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Guiliani campaigns for McCain in Tampa listen

11/03/08 Mitch E. Perry
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Tags: 2008 election, John McCain, Barack Obama, Rudy Guiliani, Charlie Crist, Jim Greer

Yesterday, former New York City Mayor Rudy Guilani appeared in four different parts of Florida to stump for John McCain.

His first appearance was in South Tampa at Square One Burgers, where an estimated 300 people packed themselves into the eatery to hear Guilaini, Gov. Charlie Crist and state Republican Chairman Jim Greer.

Guiliani spoke for about 15 minutes and fielded questions informally before getting into his prepared remarks.

The McCain campaign and its surrogates have had a ...

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Election Tampa Bay 2008

11/01/08 Mary Glenney and Arlene Engelhardt
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Tags: 2008 election, politics, women's issues

Eleanor Cecil, Tampa NOW, Adrienne Kimmel, Planned Parenthood, Pat Kemp, HCDEC, B.J. Starr, Pinellas NOW and Doris Rosen, Pasco NOW talk about the local candidates and issues as they affect women.

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