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![handle is hein.civil/uscdgn0001 and id is 1 raw text is:
Corn
LETTER TO GOVERNOR BUSH FROM CHAIRPERSON MARY FRANCES BERRY
March 8, 2001
Via Facsimile and U.S. Mail
The Honorable John Ellis Bush
Governor
Office of the Governor
The Florida Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
Dear Governor Bush:
I am writing to express my deep disappointment with your statement of priorities that was
presented during the opening of the Florida legislative session, in which you did not
address the most serious problems that occurred in Florida during the 2000 elections. My
disappointment is based on my preliminary assessment that these problems would not be
resolved even if the legislature approved your request that new technology for recording
votes be acquired and put into place. Voting technology reforms are necessary and your
support of them is a step in the right direction. These measures standing alone, however,
are insufficient to address the significant and distressing issues and barriers that
prevented qualified voters from participating in the recent Presidential election.
As you know, the Commission has undertaken a formal investigation into allegations by
Floridians of voting irregularities arising out of the November 7, 2000 Presidential
election. The Commission has held two fact-finding hearings in Florida to examine
whether eligible voters faced avoidable barriers that undermined their ability to cast
ballots and have their ballots counted in this closely contested election.
In total, over 100 witnesses testified under oath before the Commission, including
approximately 65 scheduled witnesses who were selected for the two hearings due to
their knowledge of and/or experience with the issues under investigation. The
Commission heard testimony from top elected and appointed state officials, including
your own testimony, that of the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Director of
the Florida Division of Elections and other Florida state and county officials. A
representative of Database Technologies, Inc. [Choicepoint], a firm involved in the
controversial, state-sponsored removal of felons from the voter registration rolls also
testified.](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.civil/uscdgn0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)