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Red, Black & Blue

Feds investigate phony letters warning Florida voters they’re not eligible to vote

by Michael Isikoff, NBC News | October 25, 2012 at 11:39 AM
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MIAMI, FL - OCTOBER 09: People stand in line to deliver their voter registration forms to a Miami-Dade Elections Department officials on the final day for voters to register to vote in the upcoming elections on October 9, 2012 in Miami, Florida. The Republicans and Democrats are battling it out for the election, less than a month away. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

MIAMI, FL - OCTOBER 09: People stand in line to deliver their voter registration forms to a Miami-Dade Elections Department officials on the final day for voters to register to vote in the upcoming elections on October 9, 2012 in Miami, Florida. The Republicans and Democrats are battling it out for the election, less than a month away. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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NBC News – The FBI and U.S. Postal Service inspectors are investigating bogus official-looking letters sent to voters in at least 28 Florida counties questioning their citizenship and their eligibility to vote,  NBC News has learned.

David Couvertier, a spokesman for the FBI in Tampa, said his office opened up an investigation into the possible attempt at voter intimidation on Wednesday after receiving reports that eligible voters throughout the state have received the letters.

“We’re taking it as a serious situation,” he said. “We’re looking at everything from civil rights violations to election fraud — to everything in between.”

Chris Cate, a spokesman for the Florida Secretary of State’s Office, told NBC News, “We believe these  letters appear to meet the standard of voter intimidation.” Between 50 and 100 such letters have been reported to state officials so far, “and those are only the ones we know about. We’re encouraging people to come forward.”

The fake letters, which first started showing up last Friday, have been sent under the names of real Florida county election supervisors — with some correct contact information — informing the voters that the supervisors have received “information” about their citizenship status, “bringing into doubt your eligibility as a registered voter.”

The letters also say the voter must fill out a Voter Eligibility Form in the next 15 days — and failure to do so will result “in the removal of your name from the voter registration rolls and you will no longer be eligible to vote.”

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Filed in: Politics | Related Topics: Chris Cate, David Couvertier FBI, FBI Florida Vote, Florida Secretary of State, Presidential Election 2012, Voter Eligibility Florida, Voter Intimidation
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