Blocking Larry Byrnes

How come the specter of Kathryn Harris raises its Republican head as every Florida election approaches? Now it's Larry Byrnes, seeking to unseat Connie Mack III in Florida's 14th Congressional District, who has borne the brunt of Tallahassee's trickery. Mr. Byrnes submitted over 5,400 petition signatures to qualify for placement of his name on the August Primary and November General Election ballots as a Democratic candidate for election to the U.S. Congress'a Congressional District. On April 15, 2008 he received a letter from the Florida Division of Elections indicating that the signatures were certified, but it did not provide any additional forms or state any additional qualification requirements in that letter.

On May 1, 2008, the day before the end of the qualifying period, Byrnes noticed on the Division website that he was still not on the ballot, despite the fact that he qualified by petitions. He phoned the Division and was told that he needed to submit a loyalty oath form from the Division's website, sign it, and have it notarized. He did these things and sent it by overnight courier to the Division.

On May 2, 2008 at 4:50 p.m. Byrnes was notified that the loyalty oath form he submitted was the one for write-in candidates, not for partisan candidates. Therefore, stated the Division, despite submitting 5,400 signatures, Byrnes would not appear on the ballot, either in the August 26 Democratic Primary or the November 4 General Election. Although Byrnes informed them that the choice of form was his error and offered to send the correct form immediately, the Division of Elections rejected his attempt and stated that there was no recourse or appeal.

The Byrnes Campaign has filed suit against the Florida Division of Elections to have his name listed on the ballots of both elections charging that it is using a technicality to thwart the will of the people. Further developments on this issue will be reported here as they occur.

What is your opinion? Is Tallahassee worried about the tide of change that is sweeping the country, where Democratic congressional candidates have defied the odds and won recent elections, so worried, in fact, that they will use any means to bar qualified Democratic candidates from appearing on election ballots? It looks like that to me.