Florida Republicans Tell Some Voters to Skip Touchscreens, Vote Absentee
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Republican Gov. Jeb Bush has tried for months to persuade Florida voters touchscreen voting machines are reliable. His own party apparently hasn’t gotten the message.
The state GOP paid for a flier critical of the new technology and sent it to some south Florida voters where a primary election is scheduled next month.
“The new electronic voting machines do not have a paper ballot to verify your vote in case of a recount,” the message states. “Make sure your vote counts. Order your absentee ballot today.”
That’s what Democrats and a coalition of civil rights groups have been saying in legal challenges, trying to force the state to provide a paper trail in case the touchscreen machines malfunction.
“It is insulting that the leadership’s own party would believe that the system is broke,” said Sharon Lettman Pacheco, spokeswoman for People for the American Way.