FLORIDA - Now the latest developments in Vote 2008...

Groups hosting voter registration drives could soon become subject to stricter penalties… for turning in applications late or not at all.

As Channel Three Capitol reporter Whitney Ray tells us, non-profit groups could be hit with thousands of dollars in fines.

Voter registration drives may be the most convenient way to sign up to vote… but it could also be risky. The Florida Secretary of State is drafting rules for stricter penalties and deadlines for groups that host registration drives.

Jennifer Davis / Secretary of State, Spokeswoman: "We have had times in the past where some of these drives have turned in the applications after Election Day or have turned them in with bad information."

Florida's League of Women Voters is suing, calling the new rules unfair. League President Marilyn Wills says a thousand dollar penalty for late applications would discourage registration drives and keep some people from casting ballots.

Marilyn Wills / League of Women Voters: "There are some groups who are registered mostly through third party registration, like you're Hispanic voters and your black voters."

The rules come at a time when record numbers of Floridians are signing up to cast ballots in this year's presidential race.

Whitney Ray / Reporter: "Three hundred thousand people registered to vote already in Florida this year. About 200,000 of them registered Democrat."

Some election supervisors say the new rules could kill the momentum.

Ion Sancho / Supervisor of Elections: "To actually chill people's first amendment right to register people to vote by threatening them with erroneous fines is really nothing more than a gambit to suppress voter registration in Florida."

Florida is already below average when it comes to signing people up to vote. The new rules are expected to go into effect in August. Third party groups say they're rushing to collect voter applications before the rules change.
In Tallahassee, Whitney Ray, Channel Three News.

The deadline to sign up to vote in the August primary is July 28th…
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