Sunshine Sentinel

Florida voting rights groups have urged Secretary of State Cord Byrd to refrain from using data from EagleAI or similar platforms for voter list maintenance, citing concerns over reliability and legality. The groups argue that utilizing such data could violate state and federal laws, risking the disenfranchisement of thousands of voters.

Brad Ashwell, Florida State Director for All Voting is Local Action, stated: "We cannot allow the rights of Florida voters to be put in the hands of an extremely partisan and unreliable software like EagleAI." He added that instructing election supervisors to use this platform could set a dangerous precedent by relying on potentially incorrect and outdated voter data from unofficial sources.

Adora Obi Nweze, president of the NAACP Florida State Conference, emphasized that distributing such uncertain lists violates established protocols designed to protect voter rolls. "Historically, actions like this have disproportionately impacted Black voters," she noted. She stressed that election officials must respect existing processes to safeguard Floridians' voting rights.

John Powers, Program Director at Advancement Project's Power and Democracy initiative, echoed these concerns. "Using unreliable software like EagleAI risks silencing many voters' voices," he said. Powers highlighted that this could particularly affect voters of color, young voters, and those without traditional residences.

Sylvia Albert from Common Cause pointed out legal implications: "Private individuals mass-questioning the voting eligibility of thousands is un-American and not allowed under Florida law." She underscored that Supervisors of Elections work diligently to maintain fair elections and deserve state support rather than directives undermining their efforts.

Bacardi Jackson, executive director of the ACLU of Florida, reiterated the foundational importance of voting rights. "The freedom to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy," Jackson said. She warned against removing voters based on unverified information from private citizens with political agendas as it constitutes partisan disenfranchisement and violates state law.