Under fire once again for lapses in oversight of Florida’s voter database and lax communication, Gov. Rick Scott’s top elections official says he’ll “over-communicate” in the future. For embattled Secretary of State Ken Detzner, it’s an all-too-familiar refrain as he tries to improve his strained relationships with county election supervisors, who depend on a reliable database as they tabulate votes in Florida elections. In a conference call with the executive committee of the supervisors association Thursday, Detzner spoke from a prepared script and said the addition of new database hardware is ahead of schedule and that he would soon make site visits to counties. “I recognize the need to over-communicate our planning at the department,” Detzner told them, according to a three-page script of his remarks.
Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley, who has been critical of Detzner’s performance, offered praise after Thursday’s discussion.
“It was productive,” said Corley, who called Detzner’s promise of better communication “a positive step.”
Tensions are escalating because the 2016 presidential election is drawing closer and any new voting problems in Florida would revive the state’s reputation for voting irregularities and spiral into a national controversy.
Full Article: Embattled Florida elections chief goes on the defense | Tampa Bay Times.