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Fla. House Looking At Election Law Overhaul

TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) - A Florida House subcommittee advanced a bill that would completely overhaul Florida's elections law. The Government Operations Subcommittee cleared the bill on a straight party-line vote of 9-4.

The new bill, sponsored by Representative Dennis Baxley (R-Ocala), includes requiring county election supervisors to take direction from the Florida Department of State.

It also would prevent a voter from changing his or her address at a polling place and tighten oversight of third-party voter registration groups like the League of Women Voters.

Republicans in 2008 claimed malfeasance with groups like ACORN for their voter registration drives. The drives typically increased Democratic-registered voters. There were also sporadic incidents across the country of some workers registering Mickey Mouse and other fictional names to bolster their numbers.

The League of Women Voters and a group representing county elections supervisors oppose the bill and said it was nothing more than partisan shenanigans.

(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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