Florida searches for non-citizen voters

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla., May 18 (UPI) -- Florida election officials say they'll rely on a federal immigration database to review a list of 182,000 voters they suspect are not U.S. citizens.

Since last year, the Florida Division of Elections has sought access to the database, which is maintained by the Department of Homeland Security, but the department cited legal and technical difficulties in providing the information, The New York Times reported.

Florida election officials Thursday asked the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to use its access to the federal database to update its records and cross-check names.

The state had been relying on an outdated driver's license database in putting together a list of 2,700 possible non-citizens that it sent to county election supervisors.

Some of those on the list were naturalized citizens or had been born in the United States.

Florida residents have been required since April 2010 to provide proof of citizenship or legal resident status when applying for a driver's license.

But some people became citizens after they received a license.

The Division of Elections is to cover the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles' costs for updating the driver's license database and checking voter names.

"Our goal is to make sure the process to remove ineligible voters from the voter rolls is as thorough and reliable as possible," said Chris Cate, a spokesman for the Division of Elections.