Mystery of the missing medical marijuana amendment

Mystery of the missing medical marijuana amendment

Broward Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes has attempted to explain how some Broward County voters who requested general elections ballots by mail received them without Amendment 2 which seeks to amend Florida’s Constitution to legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

Last week a county voter complained she and her husband received ballots without the Amendment, although three other state Constitutional amendments appeared on the ballot.

Responding to the complaints, Snipes held a press conference on Friday, Oct 21. She said after receiving the complaints of the missing item on the agenda, her office reviewed 92 versions of the Broward ballot that had been printed and all had Amendment 2 on the ballot.

Sample Ballots related to four different Broward precincts and accessed by National Weekly on Saturday all had Amendment 2. Also, when the newspaper checked with seven county voters who had received mail-in ballots they all said the ballots they received contained the said amendment.

Speculating as to the reason why the two voters, and possible five others, received the faulty ballot, Snipes explained the voters may have received seven test ballots that may have been incorrectly included in the 173,000 ballots mailed to voters. These tests ballots were printed after a candidate for the City of Oakland Commission withdrew, requiring reprint and recoding of ballots. The test ballots were used to ensure the ballot counting machines would accept the new ballots. Snipes said apparently no one noticed Amendment 2 was missing from the test ballots.

- Advertisement -

The county supervisor of election urged any county voter who receives a mail-in ballot without Amendment 2 to contact the county election office. She said she also instructed the election office’s staff that opens return ballots that in case Amendment 2 was missing from the ballots to send the voter a new ballot with that amendment.

Snipes is on the county’s general election ballot for reelection as Broward’s Supervisor of Elections. She convincingly won the right to be on the general election ballot after winning the August 30 primary. She is virtually reassured of being reelected as she has no designated opponent, except for potential write-in candidates.  She was first appointed as Broward SOE in 2003 by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. She took over and streamlined the operations of an office that was in disarray.

Despite Snipes explanation, NORML of Florida, a chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, has filed a lawsuit against Snipes’ office, for the error. The lawsuit claims that NORML is not convinced the BSOE is aware how many ballots may have been mailed out without Amendment 2 and this has potentially “catastrophic and cataclysmic.” The lawsuit is seeking a new ballot be mailed to all voters who required mail-in ballots.

 

More Stories

Esteban-Bovo

Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo to step down, join family in Washington

Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo has confirmed that he will be stepping down from his position to relocate to Washington, D.C., to be with his...
Broward high school coach

Broward high school basketball coach accused of sexual relationship with minor

A basketball coach at the Nova High School in Broward County was released from jail over the weekend following his arrest on charges related...
Haiti

Armed gangs in Haiti attack three news outlets in coordinated assault

Armed gangs launched coordinated attacks on three major media outlets in Haiti's capital over the weekend, escalating concerns over press freedom and the government's...
Michael Lohan

Michael Lohan, father of Lindsay Lohan, arrested in Palm Beach County

Michael Lohan, father of actress Lindsay Lohan, was arrested in Palm Beach County over the weekend for a probation violation, according to jail records. The...
Employment-Authorization-Document3-scaled EAD

EAD processing time: How long it takes and why legal help matters

If you're waiting for your Employment Authorization Document (EAD), you're probably wondering, How long will this take? The EAD processing time can vary significantly,...
Yashika Graham )

Jamaican Poet Yashika Graham shortlisted for 2025 OCM Bocas Prize for Poetry

Acclaimed Jamaican poet Yashika Graham has earned a coveted spot on the shortlist for the 2025 OCM Bocas Prize for Poetry with her debut...
Denise Simmons

Haitian-Amerian South Florida entrepreneur M. Denise Simmons named Franchisee of the Year

In a groundbreaking achievement during Women’s History Month, M. Denise Simmons, a first-generation Haitian-American businesswoman, has been named Franchisee of the Year by the...
Capitol Days in Tallahassee

More than 40 BCPS students to attend Capitol Days in Tallahassee

More than 40 high school students from across Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) will travel to Tallahassee from March 18–20, 2025, to take part...
Antigua Barbuda aerial

Antigua and Barbuda’s economy surpasses pre-pandemic levels, driven by tourism

Antigua and Barbuda’s economy continues its post-pandemic rebound, with real output surpassing pre-pandemic levels in 2024. Growth was estimated at 4.3%, fueled by a strong...
Guyana to begin Construction on seven new hospitals

Guyana aims to become regional pharmaceutical, vaccine manufacturing hub

The future of Guyana’s healthcare system is taking shape with ambitious plans to build six new hospitals, modernize outdated regulations, and establish the country...

Latest Articles

Skip to content