So after months of hard work, hundreds of volunteer hours and large amounts of money being spent, it appears that 6 words may block the overhaul of redistricting! The St. Pete Times reported today that the summary of one of the three petitions to re-draw and re-create the process on how we draw Constitutional districts is to long. It has 81 words in its summary and the limit is 75.
The story is linked in the title bar.
The article tells us that there is hope, the original wording was approved by the Division of Elections and they should have caught this problem then. There is always the possibility that an exception might be made. There will be more information and decisions coming out over the next few days.
Let us hope that this problem gets worked out. We need fair districts!
3 Comments:
For an update check out this link:
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12458516.htm
same link Only hopefully this time a link
Redistricting initiative too wordy for the ballot
Summary longer than 75 words
By Brendan Farrington
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Department of State rescinded its approval Thursday of a ballot initiative that would change the way the state's political lines are drawn, saying it is six words too long.
The petition is one of three the Committee for Fair Elections is circulating to ask voters to create an independent redistricting panel and set standards it should follow. The group already has more than 223,000 signatures to put the items on next year's ballot.
That work may now have to be scrapped. State law requires that ballot summaries be no longer than 75 words if they are part of a petition drive. Ballot questions approved by the Legislature can be longer.
In a letter to the Committee for Fair Elections, Secretary of State Glenda Hood said her department didn't detect the problem when it reviewed and approved the language. The 81-word summary would require districts be compact and preserve communities of interest rather than favor an incumbent politician or political party.
"The secretary of state is kind of acknowledging that it's their responsibility to catch this," said Ben Wilcox, chairman of the group and executive director of Florida's Common Cause. "I take them at their word that they made an error when we submitted the new petition. They didn't notice there were additional words."
The group will review its legal options. State Rep. Tim Ryan, who has been a leader in the petition drive, said he wants the Supreme Court to decide whether the petition is valid.
"We have more than 200,000 signatures," said Ryan, D-Dania Beach. "Floridians have said they want to reform the system, which is a good-old-boy insider game - politicians choosing voters rather than the fundamental tenant of democracy, which is the voters choosing their political leaders."
The initiatives, though supported by some Republicans, have strong backing among Democrats who have seen their party's power dwindle and are frustrated that Republicans are in a position to preserve their numbers by drawing political boundaries.
Republicans outnumber Democrats in the Legislature by a 2-1 ration and in state's congressional delegation by 18-7.
Post a Comment