Sunday, October 16, 2016

There Go Those Activist Judges

A federal judge on Saturday issued a scathing rebuke to Florida's top election official in an order cancelling a hearing on a lawsuit over vote-by-mail ballots.

U.S. District Judge Mark Walker accused Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner of delaying a hearing on the lawsuit "so that he could use every second available to run out the clock" so there wouldn't be enough time to address problems raised in the lawsuit. The judge also said Detzner's actions amounted to an "undeclared war' on the right to vote in Florida, the largest swing state in the presidential election.

[...]

"This court will not allow the Florida Secretary of State — a high-level officer of the State of Florida — to take a knee and deprive Florida citizens of their most precious right," Walker said in his order.

  ABC News
Was that a dig at Colin Kaepernick?
"If one were skeptical, it would appear that the Florida Secretary of State requested as much time as he felt he could possibly justify so that he could use every second available to run out the clock," the judge wrote. "And by wasting a week on his scintillating response, he quite nearly succeeded."
The activity of the Florida canvassing board seems reasonable. Apparently, they're tossing mail-in ballots where the signatures don't match the voter's registration. The argument is that the people should be allowed to clear that up, since voters who forget to sign are given that opportunity, and that's certainly valid.  That must cost a good deal - the article says over 23,000 ballots were rejected in 2012.

Maybe Detzner did try to "run the clock", which is crappy.  But where were the activist judges when Katherine Harris oversaw the Florida voter purge in 2000? Oh, that's right, interfering with the recount to help her out.

Believe it or not, Detzner was appointed by Rick Scott.  Perhaps he, along with many other Republican status quo protectors is scared to death there might be a Trump presidency.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

No comments: