Citizenship questioned as voting lists are verified

PASCO COUNTY, Fla. - Brian Corley is Pasco County's Supervisor of Elections, and he's got a list to deal with.

A list of people registered to vote in Florida who the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles say may not be US citizens.

"We are required by Florida law to contact those voters and ascertain whether or not they are in fact citizens," said Corley.

Statewide, there were 2700 suspected non-citizens.  Pasco County's list has 13 names on it.  Corley says he quickly got responses from two people who proved they were born in the United States.

"We are finding a high number of people who were born in this country and quite frankly are resentful of us as County Supervisors of Elections questioning their citizenship," said Corley.

Seminole County's Election Supervisor posted a picture on his Twitter feed.  He was posing with a legal US resident and his passport.  The man was going to be purged from the voting rolls.

Voting rights groups in Florida are trying to stop the mass purging until more research is done.  They also say the state is targeting Hispanics.

Corley says when it comes to elections, perception is everything. And being handed these lists so close to when the voting begins does not look good.

"I find it very frustrating that two agencies couldn't coordinate and get this done expeditiously to avoid a public relations disaster," said Corley.

Corley says no one will be turned away on election day.  Those who aren't on the voter roll can fill out a provisional ballot and have time to prove their vote should count.

But any non-US citizens who register to vote could be charged with a third-degree felony.