The head of Florida's elections division resigned Monday amid reports he was feeling political heat over a push to purge thousands of suspected felons from the state's voter rolls.
Ed Kast, who has worked for the state elections division for more than a decade, said only that he was resigning to "pursue other opportunities."
But Kast has told a handful of associates that he was uncomfortable with growing pressure to trim felons from voter rolls in time for the fall election, friends say.
"I've known him for 20 years, and I believe he has acted because under the circumstances it's the only thing he could do," said Leon County Election Supervisor Ion Sancho, past president of the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections.
"Ed had made a number of comments that the nature and timing of this felons list was not something he was responsible for. I think he felt in good conscience he could no longer be involved in the operations."
Flroida Sun-Sentinel article
Ed Kast, who has worked for the state elections division for more than a decade, said only that he was resigning to "pursue other opportunities."
But Kast has told a handful of associates that he was uncomfortable with growing pressure to trim felons from voter rolls in time for the fall election, friends say.
"I've known him for 20 years, and I believe he has acted because under the circumstances it's the only thing he could do," said Leon County Election Supervisor Ion Sancho, past president of the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections.
"Ed had made a number of comments that the nature and timing of this felons list was not something he was responsible for. I think he felt in good conscience he could no longer be involved in the operations."
Exactly the scenario in 2000 when thousands of legitimate (mostly black, democrat) voters were refused the right to vote. Just going to do it again? Just like that? It worked once, I guess, so why not?
Greg Palast reported on the 2000 steal of the election by Florida's blocking votes. I would have thought the black box voting stir would have funneled enough attention that this wouldn't be happening again. I would have thought wrong, I guess.
Maybe Mr. Kast, if he really has a conscience, should be screaming loud and long about that "pressure" instead of saying he just wanted to retire and do something else for a change.
Maybe the lawsuit on file to force the State to list the names of the 47,000 felons they want to drop from the voter lists will attract attention. But I somehow doubt it.
| Stop the Florida-tion of the 2004 election |
....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
