Davis recall election sparks Florida fears for top Democrats

[Judi Lynn]

July 31, 2003, 11:54PM

Davis recall election sparks Florida fears for top Democrats
By ERICA WERNER
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- Democratic Party leaders warned Thursday that the Oct. 7 recall election against Gov. Gray Davis could result in Florida-style problems of disenfranchising poor and minority voters.

The chairmen of the California Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee told reporters that the consolidation of precincts in some counties could result in some voters not being able to get to their polling places.

"What I fear is what happened to us in Florida when many black and Latino voters were denied the right to vote because of mix-ups," said California Democratic Party Chairman Art Torres.

Counties including Los Angeles County are eliminating polling places to save money. Los Angeles County had 5,000 polling places in the last countywide election but will have about half that in the special election, officials said.

"This election may very well be invalidated" because people do not have access to voting booths, Torres said. (snip/...)

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/2022198