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Florida, DOJ battle on voter roll purge

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    Governor Rick Scott responds

  • Duration 6:56
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-- things are getting very hot in Florida just days after Department of Justice force the state to -- to purge of non citizens.

From his voter rolls Florida shot back immediately declaring the purge perfectly legal and necessary to ensure the and integrity elections.

The program would continue.

They even gave the DOJ.

-- deadline to respond today.

Did that let's ask the Florida -- -- Scott.

Governor good to have you what is the department told you.

Well in the of the you know -- the debates over here's what we found.

We have found individuals that are around Richard the vote they don't have right -- -- non citizens and they go to.

I have a job to do to defend the right legitimate voters.

Susan our state.

We've been asking for the department of homeland security's database safe.

Four months they haven't given to us.

So this afternoon will be found a lawsuit this -- -- -- -- of State's office will be filed a lawsuit against the department Homeland Security.

To give us that database.

We want to have fair on selections and our state.

And so we've been put in the position that we have to sue the federal government to give this information.

All right now armed.

The DOJ isn't the only one.

Causing your headaches ranked 67 election supervisors.

-- -- state won't resume this perch so what does that telling.

They're nervous.

Well look every you know everybody wants to do their job.

And death we know individuals are voting.

We did a small sample.

We have 86 individuals there were issued -- vote they didn't have the right to vote we know 467 did.

We cannot afford.

To dilute the rights of our citizens their vote.

Homeland Security should be given -- I'd like to work with them to get this done right and so because that we -- we have no choice but to file this lawsuit today.

Okay on your critics governors say since this purge list you found.

And I'm not -- it does.

Who should not be voting in Florida.

500 others were found in the actual citizens so that so far.

You weren't getting I don't know enough bang for the -- -- -- -- Was that you know we've already look we just this small sample we are found 86 there -- -- the votes that were non citizens.

We have 46 that voted that we now.

I want I don't want him to lose the vote of anyone citizen or state.

The right way of doing this we have a right to this database.

That Homeland Security has its supposed to be used for voter registration.

I look forward to then give us the database but you know again -- we don't have a choice but had to sit -- this afternoon.

You don't like -- -- and we are coming from -- let's say.

You -- found to be a citizen you're still on that list it's an older database.

Then you go Lou let's say Tallahassee -- -- -- Miami to vote.

You're on that let's.

During the -- voting -- right you can't vote.

Now -- us -- -- there's due process the way it works is first thing you do is -- supervisor election in the county sends out letter.

You have an opportunity thirty days to respond.

After that they have to put it in the paper.

After that if you don't respond.

And you're not on the rolls when you go vote you'll have a provisional vote and that figure out afterwards there's completely processed and -- not one that person.

Has been -- from the voter rolls that has a right to vote.

But we know that people they didn't have the right to vote have vote in our elections.

That's not fair to -- to the citizens of our state and -- the way we want to have elections we want fair.

You know -- -- sinus which is saying governor I guess when alarms me is that even in -- state.

Seems that a lot of Republicans don't have your back or having commented much on Marco Rubio.

Comes to mind I went and some research this and if he has expresses support for you're doing I stand corrected but as far as I know is not.

So what's going on there even within your part.

Welcome my job is to enforce the laws of Florida.

The governor of Florida that's -- elected to do.

I expect every other elected official to do their job and I believe they will.

The you know -- -- done this small sample.

I expect the federal government to do their job.

I can't imagine anybody would wind and elections that are honest and fair if anybody would want one vote deluded by individuals that don't have the right to vote.

Now the ACLU and others predictably say that you're targeting.

Minorities -- goes as far as to say this violates a 1965 -- rights -- And that this is setting up.

-- political news for you in the party in the fall at a state.

And in large part thanks to some of the improvement you've economically -- with the unemployment rate has been coming down.

Helping Republicans.

It you know you're wrapping itself around an issue that might not pay feel about that.

Well you're right yeah we've we've had a great turn in our economy unemployment dropped from eleven point one -- point 7%.

We have -- we've had a facet drop of any state but one.

This Friday we'll find out how we've done -- we'll continue go down -- -- the federal numbers we're worst last month.

But look I might I don't get to pick and choose what laws I wanna force I don't I enforce all the laws land this is not a partisan issue.

This is not Republican Democrat independent issue this is an issue that we need to have fair elections -- our state.

I wanna make sure that we have elections your vote.

Not one person's vote gets diluted by some made it does have a right to vote.

Now among Latino come to the polls and -- number Latino groups have said.

They're the ones who are going to be pulled aside they're the ones who are going to be questioned more than others simply because -- Latino believes it.

-- absolutely not for -- New this complete due process.

If in this small sample we've already done where we know people have voted illegally.

Which is a crime.

That they'll think if you're on that list you'll get a letter and if you show that your a citizen there's no issue if you don't respond we have to do a -- newspaper ads and supervised election does.

If you don't respond and you go vote you still get devoted provisional ballot.

So no winds can be targeted we want to make sure but I want to make sure.

Every one.

Registered to have the right gracious about in votes.

But you know we're doing the right thing this is we have people that are voting illegally and are racist.

That's not right.

OK governor.

Thank you very much and -- on balance we did.

Policy could come from the department of justice and that's a given time when they said they would give us a comment -- -- was no comment not released statement.

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