THE PLANNING FOR ALL OF THAT WHEN WE COME RIGHT BACK. WE’RE ABOUT A MONTH OUT FROM MID
TERM AND PRIMARY VOTING, BIG
CLNGS ARE COMING FOR THE AUGUST
ELECTION, THE FIRST WITH THOSE
CHANGES IN PLACE.
>> SOUTH FLORIDA ELECTIONS
HEADQUARTERS ARE RIGHT NOW IN
THE THICK OF PLANNING, TRAINING,
TESTING.
I THOUGH THAT I GOT A NEW VOTER
REGISTRATION CARD THIS WEEK FROM
THE MIAMI DADE ELECTIONS
DEPARTMENT AND JOE SCOTT WHO IS
ABOUT TO SEND SOMETHING OUT HERE
FROM BROWARD GREATS TO HAVE YOU
ABOARD.
YOU’RE IN THE THICK OF THE
CHANGES.
>> GOOD MORNING, THANKS FOR
HAVING ME ON.
>> SO WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHANGE
DO YOU THINK?
THE REDISTRICTING WAS HUGE BUT
THERE IS SCO MANY OTHERS.
BUT WHAT IS YOUR CALCULUS RIGHT
NOW, WHAT ARE YOU CHANGING UP?
>> SO I BELIEVE THAT THE BIGGEST
CHANGES HAPPENING RIGHT NOW JUST
HAVE TO DO WITH A LOT OF IT IS
ADMINISTRATION.
SO IF YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE
PEOPLE WHO VOTES ON ELECTION
DAY, THERE WILL BE CHANGES IN
TERMS OF YOUR POLLING PLACE THAT
YOU HAVE TO GO TO AND THAT IS
PROBABLY THE BIGGEST THING.
IF YOU ARE SOMEBODY WHO VOTES
EARLY, WHETHER YOU VOTE EARLY IN
PERSON OR VOTE EARLY BY MAIL,
THE PROCESS WILL LOOK VERY, VERY
SIMILAR TO THE WAY IT DID IN THE
PAST.
>> AND JOE, HOW ARE YOU ALERTING
THE WHAT, ONE MILLION OR SO
VOTERS IN BROWARD COUNTY ABOUT
WHATEVER CHANGES THEY HAVE CAUSE
BID REDISTRICTING.
I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE CUT DOWN
THE NUMBER OF PRECINCTS THAT ARE
GOING TO BE OPEN.
HOW ARE YOU LETTING THEM KNOW
ALL THE NEW INFORMATION
PERTINENT INFORMATION.
>> YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT.
EVERYBODY HAD TO REDESIGN THEIR
PRECINCT MAP.
AFTER REDISTRICTING.
THERE IS TIME IN BROWARD COUNTY
THIS WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO
DO REALLY A MAJOR RETRUKS OF OUR
PRECINCTS.
THE FACT IS WHEN REDISTRICTING
HAPPENS, WHEN THE LAWMAKERS IN
TALLAHASSEE OR EVEN OUR LOCAL
COMMISSIONERS REDRAW THEIR MAP,
A LOT OF TIMES THEY DON’T
NECESSARILY PAY ATTENTION TO
WHERE THE PRECINCT LINES WERE
PREVIOUSLY.
SO SOMETIMES WILL YOU END UP
SEEING PRECINCTS SPLIT UP
BETWEEN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS AND
IT’S ALWAYS GREAT TO HAVE A
PRECINCT WHERE EVERYBODY HAS THE
SAME BALLOT AS VOTING IN THAT
PRECINCTS.
SO THIS WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY
TO DO A MAJOR REDESIGN AND WE
BELIEVE IT WILL BE A MUCH MORE
ORDERLY AND BETTER EXPERIENCE
FOR VOTERS AS A RESULT.
BUT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR VOTERS
TO KNOW THAT THAT VOTER
INFORMATION CARD IS COMING IN
THE MAIL.
MANY PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN IT.
I WOULD SAY WELL OVER HALF OF
THE VOTERS OUT THERE IN BROWARD
COUNTY HAVE GOTTEN IT AND PRETTY
MUCH EVERYBODY ELSE WILL GET IT
IN THE COMING DAYS AND I BELIEVE
THAT IS ALSO THE CASE FOR MIAMI
DADE COUNTY.
EVERYBODY SHOULD BE GETTING THE
VOTER INFORMATION CARD IN THE
MAIL AND FOR US IN BROWARD
COUNTY THERE WILL BE ANOTHER
MAILER THAT IS GOING OUT A
LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO THE
ELECTION JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT
EVERYBODY IS AWARE OF THESE
CHANGES AND WHAT IS NEW AND WHAT
THEY NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR.
>> THAT WILL BE A VERY BIG DEAL,
A BIG CHANGE WHEN PEOPLE ALL OF
A SUDDEN GET A NEW VOTER CARD IN
THE MAIL IF THEY DIDN’T
NECESSARILY ASK FOR.
I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT
WE REALLY SHOULD KEY IN ON, THAT
EVERYBODY KNEES-- NEEDS TO BE
AWARE OF THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE
SEEN IN PAST ELECTIONS THERE ARE
ATTEMPTS TO DEUP VOTERS.
I’M NOT SURE DEUP IS TOO STRONG
OF A WORD.
>> THAT’S A GOOD WORD.
>> THANK YOU SO IT IS REALLY
IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE OIM
AND RESPONSIBILITY THAT ALL
THEIR INFORMATION IS CORRECT ON
THOSE CARDS AND YOU ARE RIGHT,
CHRISTINA WHITE, SUPERVISOR IN
MONROE ALL OF SOUTH FLORIDA
VOTERS ARE REALLY IN FOCUS RIGHT
NOW SO THERE IS ALSO THIS NEW
ELECTION, NEW LAW FLORIDA LAW,
ELECTION SECURITY OFFICE, OFFICE
OF ELECTION SECURITY, A LAW
MEANT TO SECURE ELECTIONS EVEN
THOUGH OUR ELECTIONS BY ALL
ACCOUNTS HAVE BEEN VERY SECURE.
SO JOE THE RHETORIC AROUND THAT
LAW AND THE DEBATE AROUND THE
LAW I THINK REALLY CONCERNED A
LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE
SPOKEN TO.
I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE
GUY AT THE TOP, IS THAT
WORRISOME TO YOU, THESE NEW LAWS
THAT SECURITY THE VOTE, SHOULD
PEOPLE BE WORRIED ABOUT THAT.
>> WE LEARN THIS WEEK THAT THE
GOVERNOR HAS CHOSEN TO APPOINT
PETER TO HEAD THAT NEW ELECTION
SECURITY AND I AM ACTUALLY, I
WAS VERY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT.
SO DIRECTOR ANTONOCCI IS SIB HAD
AN OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW DURING MY
OWN TRANSITION BECAUSE HE WAS IN
FACT THE SUPERVISOR-OF-ELECTIONS
IN BROW AROUND COUNTY DURING THE
INTERIM PERIOD AFTER DR. SNIPES
RETIRED AND BEFORE I WAS ELECTED
SO HE IS THE PERSON WHO WAS OUR
PERSON THAT WAS THE INTERIM
SUPERVISOR HERE.
HE IS THE PERSON WHO
INVITED-- AFTER I WON THE
ELECTION, HE INVITE IMMEDIATE TO
COME IN, SHOWED ME THE ROPES,
TAUGHT ME EVERYTHING AND I FELT
LIKE HE HAD DONE A GOOD JOB.
HE WAS A GOOD MAN, SOMEBODY WHO
WAS VERY PRINCIPLED.
FAR MORE CON CERTAIN TIFF THAN I
AM AND HE APPROACHED THE JOB
MORE AS A PROSECUTOR WHERE I
APPROACHED IT MORE AS A VOTING
RIGHTS ADVOCATE.
SO WE HAVE OUR DIFFERENCES BUT I
THINK THERE WERE FAR WORSE
CHOICES THAT COULD HAVE BEEN
PICKED.
>> I THINK IT GOES WITHOUT
SAYING, DISWE A VERY GOOD JOB AS
THE BROWARD COUNTY SUPERVISOR OF
ELECTIONS, APPOINTED BY THE
GOVERNOR AND HE’S ALSO ONE SOUTH
FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT
DISTRICT.
HE’S DONE A LOT OF JOBS, SORT OF
THE MR. FIX IT OF FLORIDA
POLITICS FOR REPUBLICANS.
ON THE OTHER HAND, JOE, THE
PEOPLE WHO HE HAS NOW IN CHARGE
OF ARE OUT THERE SUPPOSEDLY
LOOKING FOR ELECTION FRAUD AND
WRONGDOING BUT YOUR OFFICE AND
THE BROWARD STATE ATTORNEY,
YOU’VE ALWAYS HAD THAT POWER AND
YOU’VE EXERCISED IT.
>> THAT’S CORRECT.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO.
SO THERE IS THIS NEW STATE
AGENCIES THAT’S BEING STOOD UP.
SO FAR IT IS AN AGENCY OF ONE
PERSON AND THAT PERSON WOULD BE
DIRECTOR ANTONOCCI AND IS HE
LOOKING TO BUILD HIS TEAM.
I WILL BE FAR MORE CONCERNED
WHEN HE WON’T BE THERE FOREVER
SO WHEN HE DECIDES TO RETIRE WE
HAVE TO REALLY LOOK AT WHO IS
GOING TO BE STAFFING THAT
OFFICE.
BECAUSE IT IS VERY, VERY
IMPORTANT THAT WE DON’T END UP
WITH SOMEBODY WHO IS OPENLY
PARTISAN, WHO IS FOCUSED ON
TRYING TO MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR
MINORITIES VOTERS TO GET OUT.
BECAUSE THAT’S REALLY THE
CONCERN WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT
OVERPOLICING AND THAT STENDS TO
HAPPEN IN MINORITY COMMUNITIES
SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
WHOEVER IS OCCUPYING THAT OFFICE
AND THE PEOPLE THAT HE HIRES ARE
AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL PIT FALLS
AND THAT THEY ARE VERY
CONSCIENCE OF NOT FALLING INTO
THAT PATTERN THAT WE’VE SEEN IN
THE PAST.
>> AND ASIDE FROM THAT ELECTION
SECURITY OFFICE THERE, THE LAW
SCH MORE BROAD THAN THAT, IT
REALLY SETS PARAMETERS FOR THE
VOTE-BY-MAIL, FOR THE DROPBOXS
WHICH HAVE BEEN RENAMED TO
INTAKE BOXES.
IS BROWARD AND MIAMI DADE
ELECTIONS AND MONROE ELECTIONS
ADMINISTRATIVELY ARE VERY
SIMILAR.
ARE VOTERS GOING TO SEE A LOT OF
CHANGES IN THAT RESPECT?
>> YOU KNOW, I WILL BE
INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT VOTERS
THINK AFTER THE ELECTION CYCLE
HAS GONE THROUGH.
I THINK A LOT OF THE CHANGES
HAVE TO BE MORE WITH BEHIND THE
SCENES, THE WAY THAT WE HANDLE
IT FROM AN ADMINISTRATIVE
STANDPOINT SO YOU KNOW, SO I
DON’T THINK PEOPLE SHOULD BE
UNCOMFORTABLE AT ALL WITH
CONTINUING TO WHETHER THEY WANT
TO MAIL THEIR BALLOT BACK US TO,
WHETHER THEY WANT TO DROP IT OFF
IN TERMS OF SECURITY, WE HAVE
PROTOCOLS IN PLACE THAT WE WILL
HANDLE AT THE DROPBOXS AS WELL
AS BACK IN OUR OFFICE TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN THE
INTEGRITY OF THE ELECTION BUT
VOTERS, I HOPE THAT FOR VOTERS
IT IS A PRETTY TRANSPARENT
PROCESS WHERE IT CONTINUES TO
OPERATE THE WAY THEY’VE SEEN IT
IN THE PAST.
AND THEY CONTINUE TO FEEL
WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED TO GET
OUT AND PARTICIPATE.
WE WANT EVERYBODY TO FEEL
COMFORTABLE VOTING BUT WE ALSO
WANT PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HAVE
NEGATIVE MOTIVES WHO WANT THEM
TO BE AFRAID TO DO SOMETHING
WRONG.
BECAUSE IF YOU ARE, IF IT IS
YOUR INTENTION TO BREAK THE LAW,
WE WANT YOU TOW KNOW THAT THAT
IS NOT GOING TO WORK.
BUT IF YOU ARE JUST A VOTER WHO
WANTS TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR
ELECTIONS, YOU SHOULD FEEL 100%
COMFORTABLE AND YOU HAVE NOTHING
TO WORRY ABOUT.
>> YOU HAVE BEEN DUALLY PROMISED
AND THREATENED AT THE SAME TIME.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU ABOARD.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH
US.
AND WE WILL SOB IN TOUCH OVER
THE NEXT MONTH.
>> THANKS, JOE.
>> AND BY THE WAY, MARK YOUR
CALENDER FOR NEXT SUNDAY
EVENING, JULY 17th AS WE
HEAD INTO MID TERM ELECTIONS.
OUR LOCAL TEN PROGRAM WITH ALL