The Right To Vote

I am implementing the SAD model which we discussed in class for my blog.

Situation:
"Noncitizens aren't allowed to vote in federal and state election, but efforts to remove them from the nation's voter registration rolls have produced more angst than results," says Pam Fessler in a National Public Radio article online.

 Voter purge is the act of removing all non citizens and ineligible voters from the voter rolls. However, in the state of Florida, Governor Rick Scott's decision to do so has rendered some eligible voters ineligible to vote right before primary elections.

Analysis:
 In the year 2012, voter registration is a huge theme among college students, minorities and many other subgroups in America. Countless volunteers dedicate much of their time to ensuring that everyone they can reach is registered and eligible to vote.

 

With Governor Scott's decision to enact this voter purge, thousands of voters are in jeopardy of losing their eligibility. Especially with the time constraints due to primary elections being less than two months away, these voters could face difficulty getting their voting problem eradicated.

Decision:
Governor Scott concedes that what he is doing is right and that he will carry forward with it. So the question remains, do I agree with his decision? Is it ethical? And the answer would be no.

In the eye of public opinion, it would seem as if Governor Scott purposefully chose to do voter purge to render people ineligible to vote. "According to reports, 87 percent of persons on the list were minorities," says D.L. Chandler in an article on newsone.com. Immediately, the public will perceive this situation to be one of racial inequalities and ethical issues. As mentioned in a previous blog, politicians and ethics have a thin line on which to operate..

One of the terms in the Society of Professional Journalists' code of ethics reads as people should "avoid stereotyping by race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance or social status." With such a heavy minority target in this situation, it would defy that code of ethics and any other for the matter.

To read the NPR article "Voter Purges Under Review Ahead of Election Day", please visit http://www.npr.org/2012/09/20/161437481/voter-purges-under-review-ahead-of-election-day.

To read the Newsone.com article "Hooray! Florida Voter Purge Fight Ends In Settlement, Voter Rights Restored To Naturalized Citizen," please visit http://newsone.com/2037388/florida-voter-purge/.