As Florida heads toward a historic presidential election cycle with two home state favorites running, those in charge of orchestrating convenient, snafu-free voting statewide have charged that the administration of Gov. Rick Scott too often works against them, rather than with them. The ongoing tension was on display in Orlando Wednesday, as Secretary of State Ken Detzner, Florida’s top elections official, addressed a conference of the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections. Association leaders are still fuming over Detzner earlier this year trying to torpedo online voter registration in Florida, which is offered in at least 20 other states and had overwhelming bipartisan support. His opposition came after he told supervisors he supported the initiative.
“You owe us an apology,” said Duval County elections supervisor Jerry Holland, noting that Detzner should have given them a heads up before he switched course on them. “We all want to have successful elections in the state of Florida, but, sir, to have effective communications, we’re going to have to have you sometimes pick up the phone and tell us where you stand.”
Pasco elections supervisor Brian Corley, the association’s new president, noted that Detzner in private meetings said he was enthusiastic about voter registration but would have to check with Gov. Rick Scott. Then he later told reporters he never spoke to the governor about it.
Full Article: State’s top elections chief faces critics in Orlando | Miami Herald Miami Herald.